A new study has suggested that a higher dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in childhood could reduce the risk of asthma later, but only in those children who carry a common gene variant.
Researchers of the Queen Mary University of London, the University of Bristol, University of Southampton, UK, and KarolinskaInstitutet, Sweden conducted the study.
At least one in 13 Americans have asthma, according to CDC. More than 25 million Americans have asthma, which accounts for 7.7% of adults and 8.4% of children.
Senior study author Prof. SeifShaheen from Queen Mary University of London said, “Asthma is the most common chronic condition in childhood and we currently don’t know how to prevent it.”
“It is possible that a poor diet may increase the risk of developing asthma, but until now most studies have taken ‘snap-shots’, measuring diet and asthma over a short period of time,” he added. “Instead, we measured diet and then followed up children over many years to see who developed asthma and who didn’t.”
“Whilst we cannot say for certain that eating more fish will prevent asthma in children,” Prof. Shaheen said, “based on our findings, it would nevertheless be sensible for children in the UK to consume more fish, as few currently achieve recommended intake.”
Fish has been considered among the best food because it is loaded with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – all of which have anti-inflammatory properties.
The researchers, who published their findings in the European Respiratory Journal, looked in more detail at children who had a particular genetic make-up. More than 50% of the participants carried a common genetic variant in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene, which is associated with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.
In these children, a higher dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids lowered the risk of asthma by 51%.
The researchers said this was an observational study so they cautioned that they couldn’t say for certain that a higher intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in childhood prevents the subsequent risk or development of asthma.
The team now wants to determine whether a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids is also associated with a lower risk of asthma exacerbations in children who already have the respiratory condition.
The article was originally published last week in Science Daily.
