A new study to be conducted by researchers at the University of Aberdeen will find out whether or not soups containing food high in vitamin E will help reduce a child’s risk of developing asthma.

Authors intend to increase the amount of vitamin E that pregnant women consume. Though the national average in Scotland (where the study is being performed) stands at 8mg a day, while experts seem to agree that 15mg a day would be ideal. Soups that are made with foods containing high levels of vitamin E (beans, lentils, wheat-germ, sunflower oil and sun-dried tomatoes) were made alongside placebo soups for the study, according to Medical News Today. Women involved int he study will eat three servings of soup each week when they are 12 weeks pregnant, and continue on that schedule until their babies are born. At that point, the babies’ lung function will be examined in the first week.

The study, announced at the British Science Festival, is the first to use vitamin E rich foods rather than supplements.

“Although far more difficult, it seems more natural to give vitamin E in a natural food more natural to give vitamin E in a natural food form rather than a vitamin E pill because the vitamin E containing foods comprise a complex mix of nutrients that might be critically important, when one considers the foods containing vitamin E, soup seems an obvious intervention,” said Graham Devereux, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Consultant Physician at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

“The ultimate aim of this research is to reduce the prevalence of asthma by an effective, inexpensive, acceptable and safe public health dietary intervention. If successful, the proposed intervention could form the basis of public health dietary advice to pregnant women that could reduce the prevalence of childhood asthma by 15-20% within five years.”

Since a large number of people suffer from asthma, the disease is considered a significant public concern. Attempts to understand how best to keep individuals from developing the disease will be closely followed here at IQ.

Soup May Reduce Asthma Risk In Children, Reports Announced Study is a post from: The Inquisitr