Mediterranean diet wards off asthma, allergy: study

Children of women who eat a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables while pregnant are far less likely to develop asthma or allergies later in life. Eating vegetables more than eight times a week, fish more than three times a week and legumes more than once a week seems to boost the protection, the researchers said in the journal Thorax.

The researchers based their findings on 468 pregnant women tracked for 6-1/2-years after giving birth using questionnaires on diet. Parents provided details on respiratory and allergic symptoms of their children, who were also tested for persistent wheezing and allergies. Children of mothers who followed a high-quality Mediterranean diet were 80 percent less likely to have persistent wheezing, the most common symptom of childhood asthma, the study found. They were also 45 percent less likely to develop allergies.

Bonnie - this should come as no surprise because the Mediterranean diet is perfectly balanced, anti-inflammatory, low sugar, low simple carb, rich in nutrients, and consists of very little processed food.