Olive oil, helpful for asthma prevention

Asthma is another chronic disease that seems alleviated by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil, consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet. This is an appealing area for further exploration, since the Quebec Lung Association estimates that some 15% of Canadian children deal with asthma, a number that continues to grow over the years.[1]

Some studies on the matter[2] have shown that adhering to a Mediterranean diet during childhood is linked to a lower incidence of asthma in children. More specifically, the Mediterranean diet seems to act as a protective factor against the onset of mild wheezing and asthma, but not acute wheezing. A possible explanation behind the beneficial, preventive effects of the Mediterranean diet is that it provides a rich source of bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols) capable of inhibiting or restricting inflammatory response in the airways.[3] Interesting!