Organic Food Consumption Might Protect Against Sensitisation to Inhalant Allergens at School Age: The PARIS Cohort

Interest has grown recently in childhood diet's role in allergy development. However, the studies focusing on organic food consumption are scarce. We address the relationships between such consumption and respiratory/allergic morbidity at school age in the PARIS (Pollution and asthma risk: An infant study) cohort.

Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire completed by the parents at 8 years. Dietary patterns were identified by cluster analysis based on the consumption frequency of 30 foods (either organic or conventional) and 19 organic foods. Associations between dietary patterns and respiratory/allergic morbidity (asthma, rhinitis, eczema and sensitisation) were studied using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders, including family socioeconomic status and adherence to the Mediterranean diet as a proxy for dietary balance.

Among 1258 children, three dietary patterns were identified, which differed significantly in terms of organic food consumption frequency: low frequency in G0 (51% of children), moderate in G1 (28%) and high in G2 (21%). No association was found between dietary patterns and asthma, eczema, rhinitis or sensitisation to food allergens. Children in G2 had lower likelihood of sensitisation to any allergen than those in G0 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40-0.91), particularly to inhalant allergens (aOR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42-0.99).

Our findings suggest that frequent organic food consumption may be protective against allergic sensitisation at school age, based on the assumption that organic food consumption at the age of eight reflects consumption at earlier ages. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms for this association, including nutritional and environmental exposures.