A diet of “fruity vegetables” and fish can help reduce asthma and allergies in children, according to a seven-year study released yesterday.

The Spanish research team discovered that the diets of expectant mothers and their youngsters affected childhood wheeze and allergic reaction.

Children who consumed more than 60g of fish and 40g of “fruity vegetables” a day, such as tomatoes and aubergines, were found to be less likely to suffer from asthma and allergies.

The study, which is in the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, charted the progress of 232 boys and 228 girls from the womb to age six and a half.

Researchers found that just under nine per cent of the children suffered from some degree of wheezing, including around six per cent with allergy-related asthma.

A further 17 per cent reacted to at least one of the allergens in a skin prick test.

But those with a diet high in fish and “fruit vegetables” were less prone to suffer, according to the study.

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