To Your Health July, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 07) Apples for Asthma
By Editorial Staff We've always known apples are part of a
healthy diet, but here are a couple of new reasons to get your
apple a day. Research has shown that babies are less likely to
develop asthma when their mothers eat four or more apples per
week during pregnancy. And a study conducted by the National
Heart and Lung Institute found that children who drank apple
juice at least once a day had a 50 percent less chance of
wheezing than those who drank it less than once a month.
Although the reasons for these benefits are unknown, experts
speculate that the phytochemicals in apples, such as flavanoids
and phenolic acids, exert anti-inflammatory effects in the lungs
and airways, reducing wheezing and other asthma symptoms. Of
course, more research is required to thoroughly understand the
health benefits of apples, particularly the link between
maternal diet and children's health. Given that asthma is the
most common serious chronic disease of chil