A recent study discovered that fatty foods may trigger neutrophilic asthma, a non-allergic form of asthma associated with microbial proteins.
According to a report published in Science Translational Medicine, fatty foods may contribute to asthma.
The study underscored stearic acid, a saturated fat common in processed foods and animal items, as a major factor of the condition.
Stearic acid appears to spark a chain reaction that may trigger lung inflammation.
In contrast, oleic acid, an unsaturated fat, was discovered to suppress inflammation.
Senior author Dr. David Hill of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stated, “Many believed childhood obesity was behind this form of asthma.”
“But we observed neutrophilic asthma even in children who weren’t obese, which led us to investigate dietary fats. Our findings show that certain saturated long-chain fatty acids can cause neutrophilic asthma independent of obesity,” David added.
This asthma subtype is difficult to treat in contrast to allergic asthma, and it is expected to cause severe complications.
Several other mouse studies revealed that stearic acid significantly raised lung macrophages—white blood cells driving inflammation.
However, inhibitory drugs targetting inflammatory proteins may minimise their effect.
Researchers further revealed that targeted diets and new treatments may assist in preventing or managing this difficult asthma type.
