Mediterranean diets have been proven time and time again to aid in keeping hearts healthy. The Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oils, fish, fresh fruits, and veggies has been found to have even more benefits. A new study discovered that the Mediterranean diet might help mothers protect their newborns from a variety of allergies.
The study by Greek physicians found that mothers who closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet throughout pregnancy had children who where 45% less likely to develop allergic diseases before the age of 7. Researchers gathered detailed diet information from approximately 500 women who attended a prenatal clinic on the island of Minorca in 1997. For the following 6 six years, the children were tested for wheezing, asthma, and a variety of common allergies.
Researchers from the University of Crete discovered that what the children ate had less impact than the diet of their mothers during pregnancy. The women who appeared to sustain a quality Mediterranean diet were able to reduce their children’s risk of wheezing or a wheeze condition by 88%. The quality Mediterranean diet consisted of high amounts of fruits and vegetables, legumes, wholegrain cereals, nuts, olive oil, and fish. In addition, the children had a 45% lower risk of allergies than children of women with a low quality diet.
Australian experts, upon review of the study, say the findings add merit to the notion that a mother can have a direct impact on her baby’s risk of allergic diseases even before the baby is born. American doctors, however, are highly critical of the study. Experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics find the results of the study to be unconvincing.
As it turns out, the protective benefits came from a diet that included eating fresh vegetables more than 8 times per week, fish about 3 times per week, and consuming beans or other legumes more than once a week. According to the American Heart Association, the Mediterranean diet also includes low to moderate amounts of fish, dairy, poultry, eggs, and minimal consumption of red meat. Fish and fish oils have also recently been touted as highly beneficial for mothers and their babies. It is possible the high amounts of essential fatty acids from the fish, in addition to the antioxidants from the fruits and vegetables, may have had the greatest impact on the health of the infants. Researchers conclude more study is needed to hone in on exactly which nutrients make the Mediterranean diet so beneficial.
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