Effect of diet on allergies among preschool children

Abstract

The prevalence of asthma and allergy has increased among children. This increase in prevalence might be related to diet. The present epidemiological study investigated the relationship between fruits, vegetables and nuts intake and the prevalence of wheezing ever, asthma, and eczema among preschool children. Methods This nested case-control study included 1,489 children of 4−6 years of age residing in Kaunas, Lithuania, who were recruited in 2007-2009 to the Kaunas Cohort Newborns study. Responses to the questionnaire completed by parents were used to collect information on allergic diseases, diet and other factors. Association between diet and children’s allergic diseases was estimated by multivariable regression, controlling for covariates. Ethical approval was granted by the Lithuanian Bioethics Committee. Results We found that 83.3% of all children ate fresh fruits (62.7% - vegetables and 6.2% - nuts) at least three times per week. A significantly lower prevalence of wheezing was found among children who ate fruits at least three times per week than among those did not eat fruits (crude odds ratio: 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22 to 0.87). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of asthma were also lower for children who ate vegetables at least three times per week compared with no vegetable consumption (aOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.35). Consumption of nuts 1-2 times per week was associated with lower prevalence of childhood asthma (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.08) and eczema (aOR 0.56 95% CI 0.35 to 0.89). Conclusions The results indicated beneficial effects of frequent consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables on asthma and allergies in children. These results might have important implications for children’s health.