Description
Two recent studies have focused on the relationship
between dietary anti-oxidant intake and airways
obstruction. The bronchial mucosa is vulnerable to
oxidant damage either inhaled or the results of bronchial
inflammatory processes and this is normally balanced by an
endogenous anti-oxidant defence system which relies on an
adequate supply of nutritional anti-oxidants. Over the past
thirty years there has been an increase in the prevalence of
wheezing illness among younger patients during a period of
reduction in intake of food containing natural anti-oxidants
and a relationship between these two factors has been proposed.
