Omega-3 for Asthma in Children
The role of Omega-3 in the treatment of asthma is not surprising. In fact, the anti-inflammatory properties of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have long been known.
This Omega-3 intervenes at various levels in the inflammatory cascade that is activated in the airways in the case of asthma. In particular, EPA reduces the formation of arachidonic acid and some leukotrienes (molecules involved in inflammation) and, in addition, limits the production of immunoglobulin E, a type of antibody produced during allergic reactions.
Asthma and Diet, the Role of Omega-3
But the first clear demonstrations of the efficacy of Omega-3 in combating asthma in childhood date back to 1996, when researchers at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth (Australia) demonstrated that in school-age children, the consumption of one portion of fish, a food rich in Omega-3, per week is associated with a lower incidence of asthma symptoms .
More recently, these data were confirmed by another study from the same university. Data on children diagnosed with asthma at age 8 have, in fact, shown that they had a diet characterized by a high ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids, and therefore poor in the latter.
Asthma in Children: Omega-3 as a Weapon
The benefits observed in the case of a diet rich in Omega-3 can also be obtained by taking food supplements based on these fatty acids.
In fact, researchers at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo (Japan) have demonstrated that taking fish oil improves symptoms in children suffering from bronchial asthma.
Not only that, the study also found a decrease in airway reactivity.
The results described are achievable if the children take 84 mg of EPA and 36 mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) per day for 10 months. These amounts correspond, respectively, to 17.0-26.8 and 7.3-11.5 mg per kg of body weight.
Preventing Asthma in the Womb
In a subsequent study, researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia, demonstrated that supplementing with EPA and DHA during pregnancy reduced serum levels of molecules associated with inflammation in newborns.
Similar results were obtained by experts at the Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney (Australia), who enriched the diet of women at risk of giving birth to asthmatic children with concentrated fish oil .
Once the babies were born, their diets were also enriched with concentrated fish oil, and at 18 months of age, their Omega-3 levels were assessed via a blood test.
It turns out that higher levels of these fatty acids correlate with fewer breathing problems and fewer coughing fits during the night. In addition, an increase in Omega-3 corresponds to a reduced need for the use of bronchodilator drugs.
From asthma to atopic dermatitis
Studies on the administration of Omega-3 during pregnancy have also highlighted other benefits of these fatty acids for the health of the child .
The analysis of the symptoms of atopic dermatitis has, in fact, demonstrated that this disorder can also be counteracted if the mother provides the baby with an adequate quantity of Omega-3 already inside the womb.
The potential of Omega-3 in the treatment of asthma and atopic dermatitis in children is therefore evident.
