title: ω-3 fatty acids contribute to the asthma-protective effect of unprocessed cow's milk.
abstract: Living on a farm has repeatedly been shown to protect children from asthma and allergies. A major factor involved in this effect is consumption of unprocessed cow's milk obtained directly from a farm. However, this phenomenon has never been shown in a longitudinal design, and the responsible milk components are still unknown.
  
  
  
  We sought to assess the asthma-protective effect of unprocessed cow's milk consumption in a birth cohort and to determine whether the differences in the fatty acid (FA) composition of unprocessed farm milk and industrially processed milk contributed to this effect.
  
  
  
  The Protection Against Allergy-Study in Rural Environments (PASTURE) study followed 1133 children living in rural areas in 5 European countries from birth to age 6 years. In 934 children milk consumption was assessed by using yearly questionnaires, and samples of the "usually" consumed milk and serum samples of the children were collected at age 4 years. Doctor-diagnosed asthma was parent reported at age 6 years. In a nested case-control study of 35 asthmatic and 49 nonasthmatic children, 42 FAs were quantified in milk samples.
  
  
  
  The risk of asthma at 6 years of age was reduced by previous consumption of unprocessed farm milk compared with shop milk (adjusted odds ratio for consumption at 4 years, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.10-0.67). Part of the effect was explained by the higher fat content of farm milk, particularly the higher levels of ω-3 polyunsaturated FAs (adjusted odds ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11-0.81).
  
  
  
  Continuous farm milk consumption in childhood protects against asthma at school age partially by means of higher intake of ω-3 polyunsaturated FAs, which are precursors of anti-inflammatory mediators.
authors.affiliation: Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Tabea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brick
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schober
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Böcking
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, and Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pekkanen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Genuneit
authors.affiliation: Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loss
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Disease, UMR/CNRS 6249 chrono-environment, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dalphin
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Schwarzach, Schwarzach, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riedler
authors.affiliation: Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lauener
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang Andreas
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Nockher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, and the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braun-Fahrländer
authors.affiliation: Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von Mutius
authors.affiliation: Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: markus.ege@med.lmu.de.
authors.forename: Markus Johannes
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ege
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Comprehensive Biomaterial Bank Marburg, CBBMR, Medical Faculty, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra Ina
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Pfefferle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: Allergy protection; asthma; farm milk effect; ω-3 fatty acid