Study author Jane Burns, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said: “Teens that have the lowest intake of fruits, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids tended to have lower pulmonary function and reported more respiratory symptoms than those with higher intake.”
Researchers said they “examined the association of dietary factors (fruit, vegetables, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, retinol, omega-3 fatty acids) with respiratory health in a cohort of 2,112 12th grade students in 13 communities in the United States and Canada.” They asked the teens about their diets, their general health and respiratory symptoms and also tested the adolescents’ lung function.
Most of the teens were white, about one-third were overweight and nearly three-quarters didn’t take a daily multivitamin. About one-third of the teens had dietary shortfalls when it came to consumption of fruits, vegetables, vitamins A and E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids. A whopping 86% didn’t consume the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
The researchers also found that consumption of less than one-quarter of a serving of fruit daily resulted in lower average lung-function scores. A low intake of vitamin E—less than 5.2 mg daily—was associated with an increased risk of reported asthma. A low intake of omega-3 fatty acids—less than 22 mg per day—was associated with increased odds of chronic bronchitis, wheezing and asthma. In fact, those with the lowest intake of omega-3 fatty acids were almost 70% more likely to report asthma symptoms.
Teens are urged to increase their intake of vitamin and omega-3 fatty acids, according to researchers who added: “teens should also take a daily multivitamin.”
Chest 132:238-245, 2007
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