LONDON, Jan 14: Children of women who eat a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables while pregnant are far less likely to develop asthma or allergies later in life, Greek researchers said on Tuesday.

And eating vegetables more than eight times a week, fish more than three times a week and legumes more than once a week seems to boost the protection, the researchers said in the journal Thorax.

The combination of healthy foods containing a number of known antioxidants and nutrients likely made the difference but more study is needed to show exactly how, they added.

“Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms of this protective effect and the most relevant window of exposure,” Leda Chatzi, a researcher at the University of Crete, and colleagues wrote.

The findings add further evidence to the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet that emphasises vegetables, fish and healthy fats such as olive and canola oil over red meat.—Reuters