(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, a new study suggests the fatty foods kids eat may play a surprising role in a severe form of asthma.
Asthma is very common in children. This study looked at a type called neutrophilic asthma, which has been linked to childhood obesity. But that may change.
What the researchers did was focus on certain fatty acids. One fat in particular, called stearic acid, is a saturated fat found in animal products like beef and dairy, and also in many processed foods.
Now, researchers found that stearic acid can affect specialized white blood cells in the lungs, called macrophages. These are immune cells that normally help the body fight infection, control inflammation, and repair tissue. But with too much stearic acid, they can build up in the lungs and make asthma worse. And this can happen even in kids who aren’t overweight.
The researchers also looked at a healthier, unsaturated fat called oleic acid. It’s found in foods like olive oil. That fat seemed to have the opposite effect and helped calm down inflammation.
Neutrophilic asthma is tough to manage. It’s caused by too many neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, in the lungs.
Unlike the more common allergic asthma, this one is triggered not by pollen or dust but by microbial and bacterial proteins. Kids with neutrophilic asthma can have harder-to-control symptoms and more hospital visits. It can seriously reduce quality of life, and in rare cases, even be life-threatening.
It’s also difficult because standard asthma medicines don’t work as well. But here’s the encouraging part: the study found that some drugs we already use for other conditions might also help calm the inflammation caused by these fats. This means doctors may not have to wait years for new treatments to become available.
The research also points to another way to help: modifying diet. Together, these approaches could better manage this hard-to-treat asthma.
So what kids eat really matters; it affects not just their weight and overall health but may also help prevent or ease this difficult type of asthma.
This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show
Can love and romance help you live longer? Partha Nandi, M.D., explores the connection between emotional, mental, and physical health. He talks with a couple who have been married for almost 60 years to get their secrets to longevity. Plus, relationship experts explain the importance of communication, staying connected socially as you age, keeping the passion alive after losing a partner, and understanding how romance and love impact health. Tune in on Monday, September 1st, at 2:30 a.m.
