Eating Fish Can Help Reduce Asthma Symptoms in Children

Consumption of fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout twice a week can lower asthma risk in children, reveals a new study.

Consuming fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout twice a week can lower asthma symptoms in children, reports a new study.

A clinical trial led by La Trobe University has shown eating fish such as salmon, trout, and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce asthma symptoms in children.

Asthma - Factors, Common Allergens, Diagnosis, Treatment, Support Groups, FAQs
It's a lung condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchi and constriction of the airways that result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. Allergy and other airway irritants can trigger it

‘Want to improve kids’ asthma symptoms? Adding fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout to your child's diet can help reduce asthma symptoms.’
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The international study found children with asthma who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet enriched with fatty fish had improved lung function after six months.

Lead researcher Maria Papamichael from La Trobe said the findings added to a growing body of evidence that a healthy diet could be a potential therapy for childhood asthma.

"We already know that a diet high in fat, sugar, and salt can influence the development and progression of asthma in children and now we have evidence that it's also possible to manage asthma symptoms through healthy eating," Ms. Papamichael said.

Health Benefits of Fish
Fish is one of the staple food of coastal inhabitants. Nutrition in fish includes protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is considered to be beneficial for heart and brain.

"Fatty fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties. Our study shows eating fish just twice a week can significantly decrease lung inflammation in children with asthma."

Co-researcher and Head of La Trobe's School of Allied Health, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, said the results were promising.

Childhood Asthma - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Childhood asthma is a condition that affects airways in children and interferes with their daily activities including play, sports, school and sleep.

"Following a traditional Mediterranean diet that is high in plant-based foods and oily fish could be an easy, safe and effective way to reduce asthma symptoms in children," Professor Itsiopoulos said.

Associate Professor Bircan Erbas, from La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health, is an expert in asthma and allergies, who co-supervised the trial.

Advantages of Eating Fish Foods - Health Benefits
Researchers worldwide have discovered that eating fish regularly is good for health. Regular consumption of fish may reduce the risk of diseases such as asthma, prostate cancer and eyesight.

"Asthma is the most common respiratory disease in young people and one of the leading reasons for hospitalizations and trips to emergency for children," Associate Professor Erbas said.

"Unfortunately, the rate of asthma worldwide remains high. It is imperative that we identify new therapies that we can use alongside conventional asthma medications."

The clinical trial involved 64 children from Athens in Greece, aged 5 to 12 who had mild asthma. Researchers from Australia and Greece divided the children into two groups and instructed around half to eat two meals of cooked fatty fish (of at least 150 grams) as part of the Greek Mediterranean diet every week for six months. The remaining children followed their normal diet.

At the end of the trial, they found the group who ate fish had reduced their bronchial inflammation by 14 units. Above 10 units is significant under international guidelines.

Source-Eurekalert