People who eat foods rich in vitamin E may be protected from certain allergies, new findings suggest.

Researchers looked at data from more than 2,600 adults aged 18 to 70 years

The subjects answered questions about their diet and their symptoms of asthma and hay fever and were also tested using IgE skin tests for allergies to grass pollen, cat fur and dust mites.

Researchers found that every additional milligram (mg) of vitamin E consumed in the diet lowered antibody levels by more than 5%, with the beneficial effect leveling off at 7 mg of vitamin E per day

According to the researchers "Higher concentrations of vitamin E intake were associated with lower serum IgE concentrations and a lower frequency of allergen sensitisation."

Since asthma involves increased levels of free radicals (oxidants), antioxidants such as vitamin E may reduce the likelihood of asthma by reducing levels of these compounds, lead researcher Dr. Andrew Fogarty from the University of Nottingham in the UK told Reuters Health.

Vitamin E is found in:

vegetable oils

wheat germ

cereal grains

fruits

green vegetables

meat

eggs

fish

Dr. Fogerty and his colleages conclude that "These findings may explain the beneficial effect of dietary vitamin E on the incidence of asthma."