Children Hugh | 24 Oct 2007 02:57 pm
Apples prevent asthma
A new study tracked the diets of nearly 2,000 pregnant women and checked the lung health of 1,253 of their children at age five. Among a wide variety of foods eaten and recorded by the pregnant women, only apple consumption showed a consistent protective effect against childhood wheeze and asthma.
Children of mothers who ate more than four apples per week were 37 per cent less likely to have a history of wheezing and 53 per cent less likely to have doctor-confirmed asthma, compared to mothers who ate one or no apples per week while pregnant. The specific association found with apples, and not with the total amount of fruits eaten or with citrus, fruit juice or vegetable consumption, hints at an apple-specific effect, possibly because of its unique flavonoids, which have been shown to have beneficial effects on adult lung function. To maximize apple’s benefits why not think about adding apples to your daily juice regime.
