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The Hass Avocado Board teamed up with the University of Eastern Finland researchers to examine the relationship between maternal avocado consumption during pregnancy and allergic outcomes in infants. Findings suggest that consuming avocados during pregnancy is associated with a 43.6% lower likelihood of food allergy development in children by 12 months of age.
Maternal dietary choices during pregnancy influence offspring health, particularly in the development of allergic diseases, including rhinitis, eczema, asthma, and food allergies. Prior research has explored the effects of maternal dietary patterns, identifying that proinflammatory diets may increase allergic disease risk, while Mediterranean-style diets appear protective.
Previous studies on maternal nutrition have examined the role of fruits, vegetables, and specific food categories but lacked investigations into the impact of individual foods on allergy development in children.
In the study, “Avocado consumption during pregnancy linked to lower child food allergy risk: prospective KuBiCo study,” published in Pediatric Research, the team conducted a prospective cohort study to assess how avocado consumption during pregnancy relates to childhood allergy outcomes. Data were obtained from the Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) Study, which included pregnant women giving birth at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
A total of 2,272 participants met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Avocado consumption was determined through an online food frequency questionnaire administered in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Participants were categorized as avocado consumers if they reported consuming any avocado (>0 grams) in at least one trimester, and non-consumers if they reported 0 grams in both trimesters. Offspring allergic outcomes—including rhinitis, paroxysmal wheezing, eczema, and food allergy—were assessed through a 12-month follow-up questionnaire
Logistic regression models analyzed the association between maternal avocado consumption and allergic health outcomes while adjusting for multiple covariates, including maternal age, education, BMI, delivery method, neonatal intensive care admission, breastfeeding duration, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and diet quality.
Compared to children of avocado non-consumers, children of avocado consumers exhibited a significantly lower risk of food allergy (2.4% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.030). The association remained statistically significant even in fully adjusted models. No significant associations were found between maternal avocado intake and rhinitis, eczema, or paroxysmal wheezing.
Nutrient components of avocado, such as monounsaturated fats, fiber, and antioxidants, may play a role in immune system development, yet the specific biological mechanisms require further investigation. Researchers suggest that long-term studies are needed to evaluate allergy risk beyond 12 months and determine whether avocado consumption has protective effects later in childhood.
An interesting side note to the study is the mix of transparency and lack thereof within the disclosures. The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) defines itself as having a marketing and promotional role, stating on their website, “HAB is the only avocado organization that equips the entire global industry for success by collecting, focusing and distributing investments to maintain and expand demand for avocados in the United States.”
While the first two authors are clearly (and transparently) affiliated with HAB, there is zero conflict disclosure in the “Competing interests” section of the study. Additionally, the source of funding and the role of the funders for the present study seem to be left out. The Funding section of the paper only mentions the preexisting KuBiCo Study, not the current study’s funding.
There is nothing wrong with conducting or publishing industry-funded research, but when funding and conflicts are left out or deemed unnecessary to the audience, it does start to blend with advertising in an uncomfortable way.
Ultimately, it is the journal Pediatric Research and the publisher Springer Nature that need to maintain the standards of disclosure lest we take everything they publish with a pinch of salt.
With a pinch of salt also happens to be a terrific way to enjoy avocados.
Medicalxpress.com
