The study has found that increasing dietary diversity with multiple fruit and vegetable intake can help reduce the adversity of exposure to air pollution in children. Photos used only for representative purposes Photo Credit: Getty Images/Istockphoto
AND New study It emphasized the importance of a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, which neutralizes the adverse health effects of air pollution to some extent in Indian children under five years. The study was published in Frontiiers in Public Health 9 May.
The exposure to air pollution (particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less – PM2.5) may result in acute respiratory disease (ARI) and anemia in children. A team of St John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, IIT Delhi and Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi, examined whether antioxidant nutrient revenues could mitigate the impact of PM2.5 on the health of children in India.
Scientists studied 2,08,782 children with valid Ari and 1 97 289 children with valid hemoglobin measurements. The prevalence of ARI and anemia was 2.8% and 57.6%. Acute respiratory infections and anemia are the main contributors to child morbidity and mortality around the world. Children are very sensitive to these conditions due to their developing immune systems and higher metabolic needs.
As pollution affects the health of children
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks for the child’s health
In 2019, 99% of the world’s population lived in places where the WHO air quality levels were not met.
In 2020, household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year, including more than 237,000 deaths of children under 5 years.
Women and children, usually responsible for housework, such as cooking of fuel timber, bear the greatest health burden on using dirty fuels and household technologies.
The exposure of household air pollution almost doubles the risk of infection of child lower respiratory and is responsible for 44% of all pneumonia deaths in children under 5 years of age.
Source: WHO
Air pollution around and household
Anura Council, Professor of Physiology and Nutrition in St John’s Medical College and one of the authors of the study, said that the occurrence of the emerging evidence emphasizes and pollution in the home, especially fine particles, such as critical environmental risk factor for ARI and children in children. “According to world health statistics 2023, ARI is the main cause of childhood mortality in all infectious diseases. It has also been shown that exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of anemia in children,” he said.
Scientists have triangulated data on PM2.5 derived from the satellite at the primary level of the sampling unit, with data on the prevalence of ARI and anemia from the survey at the national district level and antioxidant income of nutrients from expanding food expenditure. The regression model of logistics mixed effects was used to estimate the effect of PM2.5 at various nutrient intake levels.
The study found that higher intake of some antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A, C and D, as well as minerals such as zinc and selenium, reduced the risk of ARI associated with high exposure to PM 2.5. Higher intake of these nutrients could similarly reduce the risk of anemia.
“Similar advantages with daily consumption of small amounts of fruits and vegetables have been observed in the translating these nutrients. This emphasizes the potential of increasing dietary diversity with more intake of fruits and vegetables, in reducing the adversity of air pollution in children.”
Qualitative evidence
Scientists have concluded that the findings from this study should be considered as qualitative evidence of the potential moderation of the Air pollution and health association and the air of air and food groups rich in antioxidants.
“These results emphasize the potential of dietary diet strategies to alleviate the adverse effects of air pollution. However, evidence now needs to verify studies for community -based inventions or randomized control experiments with selected antioxidants. An additional way to protect vulnerable populations, ”said the study.
Published – 16 May 2025 01:16 IS
