Fruits Help Respiratory Tract Infection In Pregnancy
Source: Huliq News Date: 07/08/09
Boston University School of Medicine researchers (BUSM) have observed in a study of pregnant women that consumption of at least seven servings per day of fruits and vegetables moderately reduced the risk of developing an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The BUSM study appears online in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
URTIs
include the common cold and sinus infections, which can lead to lower
respiratory problems, such as asthma or pneumonia. Even though the
majority of URTIs are uncomplicated colds, identifying ways to prevent
their occurrence is important because colds are the most common reason
for school and work absences. Eating nutritious foods, especially
fruits and vegetables, improves immunity but hadn't previously been
associated with reducing the risk of URTIs in pregnant women.
BUSM
researchers studied more than 1,000 pregnant women and found those who
ate the most fruits and vegetables were 26 percent less likely to have
URTI relative to those who ate the least amount. Neither fruit nor
vegetable intake alone was found to be associated with the five-month
risk of URTI. The patterns observed for total fruit and vegetable
intake and either fruit or vegetable intake alone in relation to the
three-month risk of URTI were consistent with those when assessing the
five-month risk of URTI. Women in the highest quartile of fruit and
vegetable intake had a stronger reduced three-month risk than the
five-month risk of URTI. Moreover, there was a significant decreasing
linear trend for the three-month risk of URTI with consumption of
fruits and vegetables.
Pregnant
women have been recommended to consume at least five servings of fruits
and vegetables per day. This study showed that intake of higher levels,
6.71 servings per day, was associated with a moderate risk reduction
for URTI.
"Pregnant
women may require more fruits and vegetables than usual because of the
extra demands on the body," said senior author Martha M. Werler,
M.P.H., Sc.D., professor at Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston
University.
By Boston University Medical Center
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