hay fever

Influence of the dietary fatty acids and antioxidants on hay fever in adults

Higher intakes of EPA (usually associated with healthy fats such as fish oil and olive oil) showed a protective effect against development of hay fever. This is not a surprising finding; however, dietary approaches are rarely addressed in modifying risk for atopic diseases and asthma. Surprisingly, higher intakes of beta carotene showed an increased risk. Using some guesswork, I can apply two possible scenarios here.

First, this study used a dietary recall by the study participants to evaluate intakes. This can be misleading and there may have been other factors that were contributory other than the beta carotene. Second, higher intakes of one type of nutrient without balancing among the nutrient’s “cousins” (such as too much Vit E without taking in gamma tocopherol will lower levels of gamma tocopherol) can lead to problems. This second idea may be the most reasonable hypothesis.

The influence of the dietary intake of fatty acids and antioxidants on hay fever in adults – Allergy, Vol 58, Issue 12, pp. 1..

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