Has the rise in margarine and vegetable oil consumption caused the rise in asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis?

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in the European Respiratory Journal 1997 Jan;10(1):6-12 and a recipe for fajitas with grilled pineapple salsa.

Study title and authors:
Dietary fat and asthma: is there a connection?
Black PN, Sharpe S.
Dept of Medicine University of Auckland Auckland Hospital, New Zealand.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9032484

Black notes that the last two decades have seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis in developed countries.

Books:

The review found this increase has been paralleled by a fall in the consumption of saturated fat and an increase in the amount of polyunsaturated fat in the diet. This is due to a reduction in the consumption of animal fat and an increase in the use of margarine and vegetable oils containing omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as linoleic acid.

Immunoglobulin E is associated with allergies. Black suggests that excess immunoglobulin E may be produced by linoleic acid by the following mechanism.

Linoleic acid is a precursor of arachidonic acid, which can be converted to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) ---> PGE2 acts on T-lymphocytes to reduce the formation of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) without affecting the formation of interleukin-4 (IL-4) ---> This may lead to the development of allergic sensitization, since IL-4 promotes the synthesis of immunoglobulin E (IgE), whereas IFN-gamma has the opposite effect.

So margarine and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats increase prostaglandin E2 which in turn can promote the formation of immunoglobulin E, which is associated with allergies.

To conclude: Increases in margarine and vegetable oil consumption have paralleled the increases in asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis.

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Recipe of the day

Fajitas with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Skirt Steak

◦1 lb skirt steak, sliced thin

◦3/4 red onion, sliced thin

◦2 red bell peppers, sliced thin

◦5 cloves garlic, minced

◦2 limes, juiced

◦2 T tomato paste

◦1 t coriander

◦1 t cumin

◦1 t smoked paprika

◦1 t garlic powder

◦1 t red pepper flakes

◦3 T FOC (fat of choice, bacon fat, coconut oil)

For the Pineapple Salsa:

◦1/2 pineapple (cored, about 6 rings)

◦1/4 red onion onion

◦2 T red wine vinegar

◦1/4 c fresh cilantro

◦s&p

Instructions:

For the Fajitas:

Heat your fat in a skillet (cast iron works well if you have it) over medium high heat. Add the garlic, sliced onions and peppers. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, stirring ocassionally, until they start to soften. Add your steak strips. They won’t take too long to cook, another 5 minutes or so. When the beef is just about cooked through add the the rest of the ingredients.

For the Grilled Pineapple Sauce:

Grill the pineapple rings over medium heat, until they are caramelized (outdoor grille/indoor grille pan/Foreman grille) on each side, about 12 minutes. In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until desired consistency. No food processor? No problem. Just chop all the ingredients and make more of a chunky salsa. It’s all headed to the same place.

Scoop your steak, onions and peppers into a serving bowl and top with the salsa.

Fajitas with Grilled Pineapple Salsa