By Jessica Berman
Pregnant women who take certain omega-3 fatty acid supplements can reduce by one-third the risk that their offspring will develop asthma, according to a new study.
The investigation, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that women who received 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 supplements in the last three months of pregnancy reduced their child’s risk of asthma by 31 percent.
Coldwater fish, notably salmon and sardines, are good sources of omega-3 acids.
Experts say the nutrients have long been known to have anti-inflammatory properties and are key to regulating immune response in humans. Asthma is an immune system disorder.
Researchers with the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) and the University of Waterloo in Canada conducted the study of almost 700 pregnant Danish women.
