A new study confirmed that babies who consumed more fruits, vegetables and unprocessed foods were less likely to acquire all types of allergies.
According to the study, published in the July 25 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, fresh food was attributed to less allergies. Dr. Magnus Wickman, a professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, who participated in the study, said there have been several studies and researches in the past the confirmed that certain diets reduces risk of allergies among infants.
This is primarily due to the fact that there are a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and different types of fatty acids that are good for the baby's overall health, Dr. Wickman stated.
According to a research, approximately 8 percent of children have at least one form of food allergy and this figure is quite alarming.
However, Kate Grimshaw, lead author or a pilot study and a researcher at the University of Southampton said that the biggest concern here is that some parents may be unknowingly reducing the nutritional diversity their infants and children has to have.
Grimshaw and colleagues gathered the food diaries of 1,140 babies from their parents. 41 infants diagnosed with food allergy and 82 infants did not have reported allergies.
This diet log or food diary was maintained and updated regularly for the entire first year of the infant's life.
The study showed that babies without food allergies scored higher than babies with food allergies on diets rich in healthy, homemade ingredients as well as fruits, vegetables, poultry and fish.
The results showed that there were lower consumption of processed food and high-fat foods like pre-made meals, potato chips and cook-in sauces among infants without food allergies than those that had food allergies.
