Preventing asthma - is a Mediterranean diet the answer?

Eating a Mediterranean diet packed with fruit, vegetables and nuts could protect children from developing allergies and asthma, research suggests.

Scientists surveyed the diet and health of almost 700 children living on the Greek island of Crete where asthma is rare. They found that children who regularly ate fresh fruit and vegetables were protected from both conditions, particularly allergic rhinitis.

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. Nuts also contain high levels of magnesium, which may protect against asthma and improve lung power. However, certain types of nuts - in particular peanuts - are also known to trigger asthma in some people.

A daily diet of oranges, apples, and tomatoes also protected against wheezing and hay fever. Grapes, in particular, seemed to have a protective effect. Red grape skin contains high levels of antioxidants as well as resveratrol known to curb inflammatory activity.

But high consumption of margarine doubled the chances of asthma and allergic rhinitis, the findings showed. The study's authors say in Thorax, that the research added to existing evidence that diet could help control asthma symptoms.

In recent years a number of studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to lower levels of obesity, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and various forms of cancer.

Get more information about asthma from Asthma UK.

Watch New You's video on help with Allergies.