ASTHMA STUDIES

Apple consumption during pregnancy reduces risk for childhood wheezing and asthma.

New research suggests that mothers who eat apples during pregnancy may protect their children from developing asthma later in life.

The study, which tracked the dietary intake of more than 1200 pregnant women, examined the effects of the maternal diet on airway development in children at the age of 5. Researchers concluded that the children of mothers who ate apples had a significantly reduced risk of asthma and related symptoms such as wheezing.

Of all the foods evaluated in this research no other consistent associations were found between prenatal consumption and asthma. The study, recently published in Thorax online, suggests that there are “beneficial associations between maternal apple intake during pregnancy and wheeze and asthma at age five years." While the association is not yet fully understood, the protective benefits appear to be apple specific, possibly because the apple’s flavonoid content has positive effects on airway and immune development.

The researchers, who hail from The Netherlands and Scotland, noted that “if these results are confirmed, recommendations on dietary modification during pregnancy may help to prevent childhood asthma and allergy.”

This is not the first time apples have been linked to lung health. Previous findings that have indicated consumers of apples have better lung function and lower risk of respiratory disease than non-consumers. The fruit’s high fiber content and flavonoids, which contain powerful antioxidant properties, are likely the source of this lung protection as well.

In 2004, the National Institutes of Health reported that eating fiber rich foods and flavonoids may reduce chronic coughs and other respiratory ailments. Among other related studies linking apples to lung health, Australian researchers suggested that apples may protect against asthma in adults.

Until now, there has been little data related to the maternal diet during pregnancy and childhood asthma, although the National Institutes of Health ranks asthma among the most common chronic diseases in the U.S. In 2004, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that 9 million U.S. children have been diagnosed with asthma at one point in their lives and 4 million children suffered from asthma attacks that year. Others suffer from “hidden asthma” – undetected or undiagnosed asthma - according the American Lung Association.

In addition to lung benefits, the apple’s unique nutrient composition has been linked to a reduced risk of developing other chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and type-2 diabetes. Apples and apple products have also been shown to promote brain health and protect against brain cell damage that contributes to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

- News Release from US Apple Association, April 17, 2007