Simply eating more fruits and vegetables could help protect against asthma, according to a study the Independent reported.
Researchers at the University of Luasanne in Switzerland found that soluble fiber, which is found in fruits and vegetables, may reduce inflammation in the lungs.
For the study, after conducting tests on mice, researchers found that mice with diets high in soluble fiber were less likely to suffer from respiratory symptoms such as inflammation of the lungs and airways.
Soluble fiber is converted into short-chain fatty acids, "a type of fat which acts as a signal to make the immune system more resistant to irritation," the Independent reported.
Researchers said if a diet change is out of the question, a fatty acid supplement pill could also be used as an effective treatment for asthma.
"There's a very high probability it works in humans, the basic principle of fiber being converted to short-chain fatty acids is known,"Dr. Benjamin Marsland is quoted as saying by the Independent. "But we don't know what amount of fiber would be needed and the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids required might be different."
Marsland said the implications could be far-reaching.
The study also suggests that the boom in eating processed foods, which are typically low in fiber, may have something to do with the increasing incidence of asthma in the 1980s and 90.
"In some countries, Burkina Faso, for example, dietary fiber intake is very high and there is no development of allergies whereas in westernized countries we have an intake of dietary fiber is low and the allergies have been increasing," Marsland said.
Researchers added that there is a strong correlation between the increase of allergic asthma and the reduced consumption of fiber.
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
