According to research appearing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (December, 2003;112(6):1178-84), pregnant women who take omega-3 fatty acids were less likely to have babies with allergies. The subjects of the study were 98 pregnant women who either took capsules containing fish oil or olive oil (as a control). Blood samples from the umbilical cords of the infants revealed that the group given the fish oil had greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the cell membranes when compared to the group given the olive oil. Furthermore, the babies in the fish oil group had less reaction to allergy producing substances compared to the control group.
Other research performed by scientists in Finland found that the type of fats consumed in the diet may be connected to the tendency toward allergy, according to research published in the journal Allergy (2001;56:425-428). Children who developed allergies were more likely to have consumed more margarine and less butter than those who did not. Differences supporting these dietary findings were similarly found in the serum fatty acid data. There may be a connection between fats consumed in the diet and the development of allergies. The children who developed allergies also tended to eat less fish—although this connection was not as significant in this particular study
