Med diet’s no wheeze
New research from the University of Crete shows that asthma is less common in children whose mothers ate a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables during pregnancy. Eating vegetables more than eight times a week and pulses (peas, beans and lentils) more than once a week helped most. These foods contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals including antioxidants which help keep us healthy. This study also found that eating red meat more than three to four times a week increased the risk. The UK has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma worldwide; one in 10 children is affected.
Chatzi L, Torrent M, Romieu I, Garcia-Esteban R, Ferrer C, Vioque J, Kogevinas M, Sunyer J. 2008. Mediterranean Diet in pregnancy protective for wheeze and atopy in childhood. Thorax. 63 (6) 507-513.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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