Along with reducing inflammation and heart-disease risk, omega-3 fatty acids may prevent respiratory allergies and airway diseases in early childhood. According to Australian researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Westmead, omega-3s reduce coughing in children at risk for allergies and may prevent allergies later in life (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2004, vol. 114, no. 4).

To fuel up on fatty acids, eat fish varieties such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon. Or try flax and linseed oils, walnuts, enriched eggs, pumpkin seeds, and green leafy vegetables. Fred Pescatore, MD, author of The Allergy and Asthma Cure (Wiley, 2003), suggests young children take 500 mg of omega-3 supplement formulas in divided doses every day to improve respiratory health.