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Posted on Oct 03, 2002, 7 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Eating a vitamin C and E rich-diet could help protect asthmatic children's lungs from the damaging effects of ozone, according to Mexican researchers. Study author Dr Isabelle Romieu of the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico and colleagues studied asthmatic children to see if antioxidant supplements could help to protect them from urban air pollution.
Eating a vitamin C and E rich-diet could help protect asthmatic children's lungs from the damaging effects of ozone, according to Mexican researchers. Study author Dr Isabelle Romieu of the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico and colleagues studied asthmatic children to see if antioxidant supplements could help to protect them from urban air pollution. Results showed that the supplements helped to protect the children from decreases in forced expiratory flow and peak expiratory flow - both indicators of deteriorating lung function. The protective effects of the vitamins were more prominent in children suffering from moderate to severe asthma, a finding that according to Romieu, "may suggest that children with more advanced asthma are more susceptible to the impact of ozone exposure because of a decrease in antioxidant defenses in the lung." She suggests that parents of children who are exposed to high levels of air pollution should ensure that their diet contains plenty of vitamin C and E-rich foods such as green vegetables and citrus fruits.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2002; 166:703-709
