Oxidative stress has been proven to be a factor in the development of allergies and asthma. Antioxidants, on the other hand, can inhibit the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and improve asthma symptoms. Furthermore, human allergies are believed to begin during the prenatal period. Therefore, individuals who are prone to allergies may experience an interaction between prenatal environmental exposures and genetic variations, leading to the development of both conditions. Some innate and acquired immune responses resulting from this interaction are already present in newborns and can continue to develop into various allergic diseases later in life.

If the concentration of IgE in umbilical cord blood is excessively high (e.g., higher than 0.5 IU/mL), the risk of developing allergic diseases in the future greatly increases. Therefore, a high IgE concentration in umbilical cord blood can be considered a useful marker for allergies. The research team utilized umbilical cord blood collected by Dr. Chen Chien-Han from 1,107 full-term newborns between April 2008 and April 2011 to establish the “Gene and Environment Interaction Birth Cohort Study” (GEIBCS). During the third trimester of pregnancy, the mothers of the newborns underwent a questionnaire survey, recording the frequency of intake of two types of foods: (1) foods rich in antioxidants, such as fruits or relatively lean fish, and (2) foods rich in pro-oxidants, such as fried fish fillet or canned fish products.

The research findings revealed that prenatal consumption of relatively lean fish, such as flounder, especially on a weekly basis, was associated with a lower risk of high IgE concentration. If pregnant women consumed fruits daily, the risk of high IgE concentration was also lower for infants carrying the IL4 rs2243250 TC or CC gene. On the contrary, if pregnant women consumed canned fish products at least once a month, the risk of high IgE concentration was higher in infants carrying the IL13 rs1800925 CT or TT gene.

In summary, this study found a correlation between maternal prenatal food intake and newborn allergies. Consuming foods rich in antioxidants (fruits or relatively lean fish) reduces the risk of high IgE concentration, while frequent consumption of foods rich in pro-oxidants (fried fish fillet or canned fish products) increases the risk of high IgE concentration. These associations are more pronounced in specific immunologically susceptible individuals. Increasing the intake of foods rich in antioxidants and avoiding the consumption of foods rich in pro-oxidants may help in the early prevention of allergies.

Source: Neowave