TL;DR

A study of children in rural Greece found that eating more fruits, vegetables, and nuts was linked with less wheezing and nasal allergy symptoms, while eating margarine was linked with more wheezing and allergy symptoms. This suggests that overall diet patterns may affect breathing and allergy symptoms in children.

Diet, Asthma, and Allergies in Children

What children eat may affect how often they have allergy or breathing problems. Researchers have looked at traditional diets to see if certain foods are linked with fewer asthma or allergy symptoms.

A study published in Thorax (2007; 62:677–683) examined children living in rural Crete and how their diet related to asthma and allergies.

How the Study Was Done

The study included 690 children, ages 7 to 18. It was a cross-sectional survey, meaning the researchers looked at diet and symptoms at the same time.

  • Parents filled out questionnaires about their child’s breathing and allergy symptoms

  • Children were given skin tests for 10 common airborne allergens

  • A food questionnaire measured how closely each child followed a Mediterranean-style diet, using 12 diet items

What the Researchers Found

Most children in the study ate a lot of fresh foods:

  • 80% ate fresh fruit at least twice per day

  • 68% ate fresh vegetables at least twice per day

Eating fruits such as grapes, oranges, apples, and fresh tomatoes:

  • Did not lower the rate of allergies

  • Was linked with less wheezing and less nasal inflammation (rhinitis)

Eating nuts was also linked with less wheezing.

In contrast, children who ate more margarine were more likely to have:

  • Wheezing

  • Allergic rhinitis

What This May Mean

This study suggests that overall diet patterns, especially diets rich in whole, fresh foods, may be linked with fewer breathing and allergy symptoms in children. Foods common in a Mediterranean-style diet may support respiratory health, while certain processed fats may be linked with worse symptoms.

Because this was an observational study, it shows associations, not proof of cause and effect. Still, the findings fit with other research suggesting that diet and inflammation are connected.