Margarine linked to dramatic asthma rise

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Margarine linked to dramatic asthma rise

JoAnn Guest

Mar 06, 2005 18:28 PST

 

Margarine linked to dramatic asthma rise

Emma Young / New Scientist 19jul01

Journal reference: Thorax (vol 56, p 589)

http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Asthma-From-Margarine.htm

 

Campaigns to reduce heart disease by promoting polyunsaturated

margarines and cooking oils could be partly responsible for the recent

dramatic increase in childhood asthma in the developed world, say

researchers in Australia.

They found that a diet high in polyunsaturated fats more than doubles a

child's risk of asthma.

 

Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower and vegetable oil. They

contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can boost inflammation

of tissues in the body. This is one possible explanation for the link

with asthma, says a team led by Michelle Haby of the Royal Children's

Hospital in Melbourne.

 

" But at this stage, children should not be changing their diet, " Haby

told New Scientist. " We do not know whether changing the diet will

reduce the risk or severity of asthma - that is the subject of ongoing

investigation. "

 

The role of changing dietary fat habits on the recent increase in asthma

is also unclear, she says. " I expect the increase in asthma is due to a

combination of factors, one of which may be diet. "

 

Martyn Partridge, medical adviser to the UK's National Asthma Campaign,

says: " This new evidence that suggests a reduction in consumption of

polyunsaturated fats may also reduce the likelihood of developing asthma

is helpful, but we are still a long way from being able to explain why

this common disease is becoming more common. "

 

Spreading risk

 

The team studied more than almost 1000 children aged between three and

five living in two rural towns in Australia.

 

Parents completed a questionnaire, which included questions on asthma

diagnosis, number of children in the family and whether the child was

breastfed. It also asked parents to name the type of fat the child

normally had on toast and bread, and what type of oil was usually used

for cooking.

 

Haby says she was surprised by the results. Before her study, there had

only been speculation that polyunsaturated fat might be a factor, she

says.

 

But the team estimates that a high level of polyunsaturated fats in the

diet could account for 17 per cent of asthma cases in the children they

surveyed.

 

Inflammatory findings

 

An increased consumption of polyunsaturated fats leads to a high intake

of omega-6 fatty acids, but a relatively low intake of omega-3 fatty

acids.

 

Omega-6 fatty acids boost the synthesis of Prostaglandin E2, a chemical

that increases inflammation in tissues in the body. Increased

inflammation is linked to asthma. Omega-3, on the other hand, inhibits

the formation of Prostaglandin E E2, and so helps protect against

inflammation.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in high quantities in canola oil, for

example, which contains high levels of monounsaturated fats.

 

More work is now needed to establish the role of dietary polyunsaturated

fat on asthma, says Haby. Several recent studies have found a near

doubling of childhood asthma in developed countries in the past 10

years.

 

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