Expectant mothers who eat apples may offer their children some protection against asthma, according to new research carried out at the University of Aberdeen.
The study looked at data from 1,212 children whose mothers completed food questionnaires while pregnant; at age five, the children's allergies and respiratory symptoms were followed up, as well as their eating habits.
Scientists discovered that children born to mothers who ate the most apples were less likely to have asthma or wheezing at the age of five than those whose mothers ate the fewest apples.
Researcher Saskia Willers said: "Other studies have looked at individual nutrients' effect on asthma in pregnancy, but our study looked at specific foods during pregnancy and the subsequent development of childhood asthma and allergies.
"Foods contain mixtures of nutrients that may contribute more than the sum of their parts."
More than one million children in the UK are currently being treated for asthma, according to Asthma UK.
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