Soup could be key solution to asthma in children

A range of soups are being modified to increase vitamin E levels.

It is hoped pregnant women consuming the products could have babies with built-in protection against asthma.

Research has previously shown that children are more likely to develop asthma by the age of five if their mother lacks vitamin E.

Scientists added natural ingredients containing the vitamin, such as sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower oil, beans and lentils, to canned soup.

In a pilot study starting in the next month, 25 women 12 weeks into their pregnancies will be given three bowls of vitamin E-enhanced soup a week.

A group of 25 women will also eat ordinary soup, though neither will know what variety they are getting.

Lung function tests performed on the mothers’ babies during the first week of life will look for any early signs of asthma.

The treated soups contain about 3mg of vitamin E. They are designed to raise daily intake of the vitamin from the current national average of 8mg to around 15mg, which is recommended for good health.

Study leader Professor Graham Devereux, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “The ultimate aim of this research is to reduce the prevalence of asthma by an effective, inexpensive, acceptable and safe public health dietary intervention.

“If successful, the proposed intervention could form the basis of public health dietary advice to pregnant women that could reduce the prevalence of childhood asthma by 15%-20% within five years.”

The soups come in three flavours - cream of tomato, lentil and tomato, and three bean and pasta.

During the study the researchers will keep track of the women’s diets with food diaries and blood tests.

Prof Devereux said it is not certain that vitamin E alone protects against childhood asthma. For this reason it is important to use natural sources of the vitamin containing a rich mixture of nutrients rather than a supplement.

“It could be the vitamin E, it could be the vitamin E in combination with a number of other nutrients,” Prof Devereux added. “If it works, it works.”

He presented details of the research today at the British Science Festival at the University of Aberdeen.

A successful pilot trial would be followed by a much larger study involving around 1,500 pregnancies, said Prof Devereux.

The soups are being produced in collaboration with Scottish food company Baxters.

Prof Devereux insisted the company was not acting out of purely selfish motives.

“There may be a commercial advantage, but equally it could fall flat on its face,” he said. “They are aware of the risk.”

In the UK, 10%-15% of children and 5%-10% of adults have been diagnosed with asthma. More than five million members of the population receive treatment for the condition, including 1.1 million children. In 70% of childhood cases, the disease persists into adulthood.

Current treatment focuses on controlling the symptoms of wheezing, breathlessness and coughing.