Fascinating new research from Finland’s Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) has found that mothers who consume avocados during pregnancy may be providing their unborn children with protection against food allergies.
The study, published in Pediatric Research, reveals that infants whose mothers ate avocados during pregnancy had 43.6% lower odds of developing food allergies by 12 months of age compared to those whose mothers didn’t consume avocados. This association remained significant even after researchers adjusted for numerous factors including maternal age, education, BMI, breastfeeding duration, and overall diet quality.
The protective effect of avocados may be attributed to their unique nutritional profile. One avocado provides significant amounts of monounsaturated fats (13.3g), dietary fiber (9.25g), vitamin E (2.6mg), and zinc (0.93mg) – nutrients that may influence fetal immune development through various mechanisms. Researchers suggest that antioxidants like vitamin E might program a child’s T-cell responses in utero, while dietary fiber shapes the maternal gut microbiome, potentially modulating key immune pathways in the fetus through epigenetic effects. Additionally, the monounsaturated fats abundant in avocados have been shown to modulate immunological responses.
While the study found significant associations between maternal avocado consumption and reduced food allergy risk in 12-month-old infants, no significant relationships were observed with other allergic conditions like rhinitis, eczema, or wheezing. Researchers suggest this may be because food allergies typically emerge between six and twelve months of age, while conditions like eczema and rhinitis often develop later in childhood. The findings align with previous research showing benefits of Mediterranean and vegetarian dietary patterns during pregnancy for offspring allergic outcomes. This study is the first to specifically examine avocados and offers promising evidence that simple dietary choices during pregnancy might help reduce food allergy risk in the next generation.
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In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
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References:
Cheng, F. et al. (2024). Avocado consumption during pregnancy linked to lower child food allergy risk: prospective KuBiCo study. Pediatric Research.