Mom's Diet Can Alter Genes to Raise Babies' Asthma Risk

HealthDay, September, 2008 by Robert Preidt

Increasing use of folic acid and other dietary supplements by women may be one reason why the prevalence of asthma has nearly doubled in the past 25 years, U.S. researchers are suggesting.

They found that a pregnant woman's diet can cause gene regulation (epigenetic) changes that increase an offspring's risk of developing allergic asthma.

The study, by researchers at National Jewish Health and Duke University, found that pregnant mice fed diets high in supplements containing methyl-donors (folic acid, L-methionine, choline and genistein) had babies with more severe allergic airway disease than mice born to mothers that consumed diets low in methyl-containing foods.

The mice born to mothers fed high methyl-donor diets had greater asthma severity, more airway...