Tabea Brick1, Yvonne Schober2, Christian Böcking2, Juha Pekkanen3, Jon Genuneit4, Georg Loss5, Jean-Charles Dalphin6, Josef Riedler7, Roger Lauener8, Wolfgang Andreas Nockher2, Harald Renz2, Outi Vaarala9, Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer10, Erika von Mutius11, Markus Johannes Ege12, Petra Ina Pfefferle13. 1. Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany. 2. Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 3. Department of Environmental Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, and Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. 4. Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. 5. Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif. 6. Department of Respiratory Disease, UMR/CNRS 6249 chrono-environment, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France. 7. Children's Hospital Schwarzach, Schwarzach, Austria. 8. Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St Gallen, Switzerland. 9. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 10. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, and the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. 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.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: 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. OBJECTIVES: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.
BACKGROUND: 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. OBJECTIVES: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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: Zhaozhong Zhu; Carlos A Camargo; Yoshihiko Raita; Robert J Freishtat; Michimasa Fujiogi; Andrea Hahn; Jonathan M Mansbach; Jonathan M Spergel; Marcos Pérez-Losada; Kohei Hasegawa Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2022-04-26 Impact factor: 14.290
Authors: Cheryl A Steiman; Michael D Evans; Kristine E Lee; Michael R Lasarev; Ronald E Gangnon; Brent F Olson; Kathrine L Barnes; Casper G Bendixsen; Christine M Seroogy; James E Gern Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2020-07-07 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Suzanne Abbring; Kim A T Verheijden; Mara A P Diks; Athea Leusink-Muis; Gert Hols; Ton Baars; Johan Garssen; Betty C A M van Esch Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2017-08-28 Impact factor: 7.561