Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol reduce the risk of allergic rhinitis

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2007 Jun;26(3):279-87

Study title and authors:
Fish and fat intake and prevalence of allergic rhinitis in Japanese females: the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.

Miyake Y, Sasaki S, Tanaka K, Ohya Y, Miyamoto S, Matsunaga I, Yoshida T, Hirota Y, Oda H; Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study Group.
Department of Public Health, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. miyake-y@cis.fukuoka-u.ac.jp

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17634174

The study investigated the association of intake of different types of fats with the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in Japan. The study included 1,002 Japanese pregnant females. Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the inside of the nose caused by an allergen, such as pollen, dust, mould or certain animal danders (particles of shed skin and hair).

The study found:
(a) Women who consumed the most saturated fat had a 36% decreased risk of allergic rhinitis compared to women who consumed the least saturated fat.
(b) Women who consumed the most dietary cholesterol had a 17% decreased risk of allergic rhinitis compared to women who consumed the least dietary cholesterol.
(c) Women who consumed the most omega-6 polysaturated fat (margarines and vegetable oils) had a 30% increased risk of allergic rhinitis compared to women who consumed the least omega-6 polyunsaturated fat.

The results of the study indicate that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol decrease the risk of allergic rhinitis, whereas omega-6 polyunsaturated fats increase the risk.

Links to other studies:
Asthmatic children consume more margarine and less butter than non-asthmatic children
Compared with butter consumption, margarine consumption is associated with a 41% increase in rhinitis