Omega-3, Vitamin C and Zinc Help Ease Childhood Asthma
Lee Swanson Research Update
A combination of omega-3, vitamin C and zinc may improve symptoms of asthma, a condition on the rise, suggests a new study from Egypt.
The trio of nutrients was associated with improvements in asthma measures, lung function and markers of inflammation in the lungs, according to findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-self-controlled crossover trial published in Acta Paediatrica.
"Children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma may get benefit from their diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and vitamin C," wrote the researchers, led by Mohammed Al Biltagi from Tanta University in Egypt. The study adds to a growing body of science linking fish consumption and fruit and vegetable intakes to a reduction in the risk of asthma, or improvements in the symptoms associated with the condition.
Dr. Al Biltagi and his co-workers recruited 60 children (average age 8, average BMI 17 kg/m2) with moderate persistent asthma and randomly assigned them to alternating phases of supplementation with omega-3 (1,000 mg of a triglyceride oil containing about 30% EPA/DHA), zinc (15 mg) and vitamin C (200 mg), either singly or in combination for six weeks.
Asthma was analyzed using the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), while lung function and inflammatory markers were also assessed. The Egyptian researchers report significant improvement of C-ACT for all four interventions (three single nutrients or a combination of the nutrients). The combination of all three was associated with an increase in C-ACT scores from 16.5 to 22.1, the researchers said.
Commenting on the potential mechanisms at work, the researchers noted that omega-3 and zinc have anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, vitamin C is an antioxidant and this may "counteract oxidant stress and reduce the external attacks (bacteria, virus, toxins and xenobiotics) in the lung," the researchers said. "The antioxidant effect of vitamin C may modulate the development of asthma and the impairment of pulmonary functions."
Zinc may work via different mechanisms, they said, including the regulation of T-cell lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s allergy response. "It also inhibits the activation of NF-kB, a transcription factor implicated in the expression of many pro-inflammatory genes," they added.
Acta Paediatrica 98(4):737-742, 2009
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