title: Antioxidant intake and allergic disease in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antioxidant intake may reduce the risk of allergic disease by protecting against oxidative tissue damage. Major sources of antioxidants in the Western world are fruits, vegetables (vitamin C, β-carotene, α-tocopherol), meat and milk (selenium, magnesium, zinc). Children may exclude or eat less of some fruits and vegetables due to cross-reactivity between pollen and these foods, complicating assessment of causal relationships.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between dietary antioxidant intake and allergic disease, taking potential reverse causation into account.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 2442 8-year-old children from the Swedish birth cohort study BAMSE were analysed. Children with completed parental questionnaires on exposures and health, including a food-frequency questionnaire and who provided a blood sample were included. Associations between antioxidant intake during the past year and current allergic disease were analysed using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An inverse association was observed between intake of β-carotene and rhinitis (OR(adj), highest vs. lowest quartile, 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.93). Magnesium intake was inversely related to asthma (OR(adj), 0.65, 95% CI 0.42-1.00) and atopic sensitisation (OR(adj), 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-1.00). Following exclusion of children who avoided certain fruits, vegetables or milk due to allergic symptoms (n = 285), the inverse association remained between magnesium intake and asthma (OR(adj), 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.98), whereas all other associations became non-significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diet modifications due to allergy may affect the antioxidant intake and needs to be considered when investigating the relationship between diet and allergic disease. Magnesium intake seems to have a protective effect on childhood asthma.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Helen.Rosenlund@ki.se
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rosenlund
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kull
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Håkansson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pershagen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wickman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergström
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D008274:Magnesium; D001205:Ascorbic Acid