April 5 : A Mediterranean diet is not only absolutely yummy, what with all the fruits, vegetables and nuts it uses as its main ingredients, but as a new research has shown, it also protects kids from developing childhood respiratory allergies.

Researchers assessing the dietary habits, respiratory symptoms, and allergic reactions of almost 700 children between the ages of 7 to 18 living in four rural areas on the Greek island of Crete, a “Mediterranean” diet protects against allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms.

As a part of the study, parents completed detailed questionnaires on their children’s allergic and respiratory symptoms and dietary habits.

Whether the children ate a “Mediterranean” diet was measured against a set of 12 foodstuffs, including fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil.

The researchers found that 8 out of 10 children ate fresh fruit, and over two thirds of them ate fresh vegetables, at least twice a day.

The effect of diet was strongest on allergic rhinitis, but it also afforded protection against asthma symptoms and skin allergy, with researchers finding that children who ate nuts at least three times a week were less likely to wheeze.

Nuts are a rich source of vitamin E, the body’s primary defence against cellular damage caused by free radicals. And they contain high levels of magnesium, which other research suggests, may protect against asthma and boost lung power.

The researchers also found that a daily diet of oranges, apples, and tomatoes also protected against wheezing and allergic rhinitis.

Grapes in particular seemed to protect against current and previous wheezing and allergic rhinitis, even after adjusting for other potentially influential factors.

Red grape skin contains high levels of antioxidants as well as resveratrol, a potent polyphenol, known to curb inflammatory activity, say the authors.

But high consumption of margarine doubled the chances of asthma and allergic rhinitis, the findings showed.

The study is published ahead of print in Thorax. (ANI)