(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Those with asthma should stay away from fatty
foods, new research shows. Not only do they restrict a patient's airway, but
they can also make their medications less effective.
The study at the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom, involved 40
patients with asthma who were randomly assigned to eat a 1,000-calorie meal of
fast food burgers and hash browns, or a 200-calorie meal of reduced fat yogurt.
Those who ate the high-fat meal experienced increased airway restriction and
activated expression of TLR4 mRNA genes. The activation of the genes caused
cells to react to fatty acids as an invading pathogen, prompting the release of
inflammatory mediators.
In
addition, the fatty meal also impeded the bronchodilator response of the
medication Ventolin (albuterol).
"This is the first study to show that a high fat meal increases airway
inflammation, so this is a very important finding," Lisa Wood, Ph.D., a research
fellow of the University of Newcastle, was quoted as saying. "The observation
that a high fat meal changes the asthmatic response to albuterol was unexpected
as we hadn't considered the possibility that this would occur."
High dietary fat intake has been previously show to activate an immune response
that triggers inflammation.
Source: ATS 2010 International Conference, New Orleans, May 14-19, 2010
