Ready and Processed Foods Increase Asthma Incidence

Western-style diet high in processed foods increases asthma frequency in children, according to Assoc. Prof. Betül Karaatmaca, Member of the Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association, while Mediterranean-style nutrition protects against asthma. Our gut microbiota, which lives as a friend within our intestines and supports our immune system, begins to develop and become enriched through breastfeeding during the first years of life. Our microbiota, which protects our intestines like a fortress wall against microbes and allergens, performs tasks including digestion of food, synthesis of vitamins, regulation of the immune system, exclusion of harmful microbes, and removal of toxins and carcinogens. Assoc. Prof. Betül Karaatmaca, Member of the Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association, noted that processed and ready-made foods in modern lifestyles negatively affect gut microbiota and cause an increase in allergic diseases in children. She shared scientific studies demonstrating this situation and nutritional recommendations that protect against asthma.

Reduced Diversity of Gut Microbiota Increases Sensitivity to Allergens

One of the most important nutrients supporting our gut microbiota and immunity is dietary fiber. A study conducted in the United States demonstrated that people consuming 30 different types of plant-based foods per week have the richest gut microbiota. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota affect the immune system and can lead to increased sensitivity to harmful microbes and allergens.

Mediterranean-Style Diet Protects Against Asthma

In an article recently published in the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology journal, it was demonstrated that high consumption of what we call Western-style diet of processed foods increases asthma frequency in children, while Mediterranean-style nutrition, in contrast, is protective. Additionally, it was noted that when nutritional diversity is ensured in the daily diet rather than single-type feeding during the first years of life, the frequency of asthma at age 6 decreases. In fact, it was reported that for each different food added to the daily diet, there is a 26% reduction in asthma risk.

A Diet Rich in Fruits, Vegetables, Fish and Yogurt Reduces Asthma Risk

In another study covering many European countries where children were followed for extended periods from pregnancy onwards, consumption of a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and yogurt was also observed to reduce asthma risk at age 6. In summary, these studies tell us that if we feed the good microbes in our intestines—our microbiota—with many foods rather than natural single-type foods, our risk of developing asthma decreases.

Proper Nutrition Eliminates the Need for Long-Term Drug Use

In light of all this information, to protect both ourselves and our children from diseases such as allergies and rheumatism and to strengthen our gut microbiota, it would be appropriate to adopt a healthy Mediterranean-style diet that is free from processed foods and contains various fibers. By regulating our nutrition, we can reduce our disease risk and thereby eliminate the need for long-term medication. As Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine," said: "All diseases begin in the gut. If the gut is sick, the rest of the body is also sick."