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A Mediterranean diet supplemented with oily fish would help cure childhood asthma, thanks to the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of omega-3s, according to Australian researchers.
We no longer count the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. If it reduces the risk of heart attack, diabetes and depression, or protects against pollution and cognitive decline, it would also help fight childhood asthma. This is what researchers at the University of La Trobe (Australia) discovered. According to them, a Mediterranean diet supplemented by two weekly meals containing fatty fish would reduce inflammation of the respiratory tract. The results of their research were published on October 30 in The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Asthma in children is the most common respiratory disorder in the world. In France, at least 10% of the youngest would suffer. This chronic disease is also one of the main causes of hospitalization and absenteeism in this population. Australian researchers have looked at the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids, and their effectiveness in the treatment of asthma.
Fish for better lung function
To do this, the scientists studied for six months 64 Greek children, aged 5 to 12 years and suffering from mild asthma. They separated the children into two groups. Half of them ate, as part of the Mediterranean diet, two meals containing cooked fatty fish (150 grams or more). The other half followed his usual diet. At the same time, their lung function and level of bronchial inflammation were measured.
At the end of the trial, the researchers found that children with asthma who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet enriched in oily fish had significantly improved their lung function, unlike the control group. "We already know that a diet high in fat, sugar and salt can affect the development and progression of asthma in children and we now have evidence that it is also possible to manage the symptoms of asthma. asthma when eating healthilyMaria Papamichael, principal investigator of the study, states on the website of the University of La Trobe.
"The rate of asthma in the world remains high. We need to identify new therapies that we can use alongside conventional asthma medications. "says Bircan Erbas, an epidemiologist of allergic respiratory diseases who oversaw the study. The professor and researcher Catherine Itsiopoulos adds, still on the site: "Following a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in plant-based foods and oily fish could be an easy, safe and effective way to reduce asthma symptoms in children". Further research is needed to strengthen these results, the researchers say.
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