Farm Kids and Asthma
October 19, 2010 | Terry Sharrer
A possible link exists between the rising incidence of childhood asthma and the decline in rural population, according to researchers at Ruhr University in Bochum (in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia). That link seems to be a plant molecule, arabinogalactan, which is found in forage crops. Animal studies showed that exposure to arabinogalactan suppressed immune responses. It is the researchers hypothesis that hypersensitization to this molecule early could reduce asthma in farm children. MORE