Parents have been advised that providing their children with a diet featuring plenty of fish and fruit can help to protect them against asthma.

A recent international study of 50,000 children published in the medical journal Thorax has suggested that more frequent consumption of healthy produce such as vegetables and seafood is associated with lower lifetime asthma prevalence.

Conversely, children who eat more than three burgers a week are more likely to be affected by the respiratory illness.

Responding to the findings, asthma nurse specialist Frances Guiney of the Asthma Society of Ireland told the Irish Times that it has already been well-established that high salt and fat intake can worsen asthma.

However, she cautioned against leaving meat out of kids' diets entirely, as its zinc and magnesium content can also play a role in combating the condition.

According to the Asthma Society of Ireland, one out of every eight people in Ireland suffers from the condition, giving the country the fourth-highest rate of asthma prevalence in the world.

Written by Donal Walsh

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