September 9/Nice, France/National Agricultural Research Institute -- Omega-3 fatty acids -- found in fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, as well as walnuts, pumpkin seeds and linseeds -- prompt the gut to develop in a way that boosts the immune system. Now, research suggests more children could be at risk of food allergies than in the past because consumption of such foods has fallen.
The team, from France's National Agricultural Research Institute (INRA), found that when mothers-to-be ate a diet high in a particular group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the gut walls of their offspring were more permeable.