What’s Your Headache Telling You?
(Health Secrets) Two European studies have linked nutritional factors to the rapid increase in the number of people with asthma in the modern world. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, with over 300 million people suffering from it.
Research into the causes and treatment of asthma is starting to become a high priority as it is predicted that at the current rate, a further 100 million people will be suffering from asthma by 2025.
First study finds three nutritional links
This study from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. It identified three nutritional factors contributing to asthma, especially among children. These three factors are:
- A reduction in the intake of antoxidants
- An increase in the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids
- A reduction in vitamin D level
The findings of the study suggest that paying attention to these dietary factors in child nutrition could help to reduce the incidence of childhood asthma, and also indicates that pregnant women who consider these factors in their diets could reduce the possibility of their unborn child developing asthma later in life.
For children and mothers, adding a superfood powder, fish oil capsules and vitamin D supplement could help to address the nutritional imbalance that increases asthma risk.
Second study blames salty snacks and video games
The second study, also published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, was undertaken by researchers from Harokopio University and the University of Athens in Greece.
This study involved 700 children aged between ten and twelve. It assessed their diets, specifically recording their consumption of salty snacks such as chips and salted crackers, along with the amount of time they spent playing video games.
The overall findings of the study were as follows:
- Children were almost 5 times more likely to display asthma symptoms if they consumed salty snacks more than three times per week.
- The risk of asthma symptoms was even higher in children that ate salty snacks and also played video games for more than 2 hours per day.
- Children who were seen to eat the Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fruit, vegetables, cereals, olive oil and other food high in beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E, were less likely to show asthma symptoms than other children.
Researchers are keen to point out that to combat the growing incidence of asthma in modern society, it is essential that we start with improving the nutrition and lifestyle of our children. This means embracing a plant based diet, and lots of time to play outdoors in the sunshine for mothers and children.
Lead researchers on the Greek study stated that, “Since the prevalence of asthma is quite high in industrialized populations, and has continued to increase during the past years, future interventions and public health messages should be focused on changing these behaviors from the early stages of life, by informing parents, guardians, teachers and any other person that could teach children a healthier lifestyle.”
By becoming more aware of the nutritional factors that can have a negative impact on our health, and by making sure that we and our children have a balanced and varied diet, supplemented by vital nutritional elements, we can reverse the current trend and decrease the number of people suffering from chronic asthma in the modern world.
