Asthma Antioxidants and Adolescents

Kids eat their way to better breathing

They say an apple a day will keep the doctor away and a study published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy suggests apples and fruit (in general) may also help school-aged children breathe easy and asthma free!  Of the 26.5 million Americans that have asthma, 6.1 million are children and it’s responsible for millions of missed school days every year.  Read on to learn how kids can eat their way to better health. 

Researchers in this longitudinal study worked with over 2,500 participants to review food frequency questionnaires, measure the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of foods and test lung function at specific times including at ages 8 and 24 years old.  Interestingly, they found that more fruit intake at age 8 was associated with a lower risk for asthma – a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the lungs causing coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and shortness of breath.  More vegetables were not found to have the same effect.  Overall, the research reinforces the importance of consuming a varied diet with at least 400g or 5 servings of produce daily.    

As a popular source of antioxidants and fiber, fruits are an excellent and tasty source of essential vitamins and minerals critical for proper growth and development throughout the lifecycle.  Here is a list of fruits with the highest TAC scores. 

Food Item                     Serving             TAC per serving

Wild Blueberries           1 cup                13427

Blueberries                   1 cup                9019

Blackberry                    1 cup                7701

Strawberry                   1 cup                5938

Red Delicious Apple      1                      5900

Sweet Cherry                1 cup                4873

Plum                            1                      3903

While most of these fruits are easy convenient and easy enough to add to almost any meal or snack, change it up as the weather warms up with our Berry Sorbet!  Interchange your favorite high TAC fruit for a custom flavor! 

Published May 1, 2022