We’ve all known the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, one that is rich in fruit and vegetables, a good balance of fish and meat and enough salad to feed a whole village including the rabbits!  But did you know, in a recent study that enjoying a Mediterranean diet could prevent asthma and other respiratory allergies in children?  

The research was carried out by UK, Greek and Spanish scientists from the UK’s National Heart and Lung Institute, the University of Crete, Venezelio General Hospital, in Crete, and the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, in Barcelona.   700 children living in rural areas of Crete, where such conditions are rare, had their diet assessed and found that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables helped protect against these conditions.  At present in the UK, more than five million people have asthma of which 1 in 10 children are affected.  Of course we can argue there are many other factors contributing to this, not just diet alone.  Research has shown that in some areas where there is high levels of carbon monoxide omissions, there is increased asthma rates.

The aim of the scientists in this particular study was to examine why children in some parts of Europe, such as the UK, get asthma whereas others in places such as Crete, don’t.  The children were assessed on how they ate 58 foods in nine categories; vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, cereal, dairy products, meat, poultry and margarines and oils.  The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables and fruit and low in saturated fats.  Although, it has to be said skin allergies are relatively common in Crete - meaning that, in tests, children react to allergens such as dust mites. But these do not appear to translate into respiratory allergies, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.

The research found 80% of the children ate fresh fruit, and over two-thirds of them fresh vegetables, at least twice a day.   The study also showed that eating oranges, apples, tomatoes and grapes each day, of which around 300 children did, was shown to have a protective effect against wheezing and allergic rhinitis.

Red grape skin also has high levels of antioxidants as well as resveratrol, a potent polyphenol, known to curb inflammatory activity, say the authors.  Hence, many doctors now believe that drinking red wine in adulthood can have beneficial affects against heart disease and other illnesses.

Children who ate nuts - a rich source of vitamin E - at least three times a week, again just over 300, were less likely to wheeze.  Vitamin E is the body's main defence against cell damage caused by free radicals.  Nuts also contain high levels of magnesium, which other research has suggested may protect against asthma and boost lung power.

Dr Paul Cullinan, of the Royal Brompton Hospital and National Heart and Lung Institute, said: "The message of the study is that foods with high antioxidant levels are good for you."