Apigenin, a plant flavonoid found in herbs, fruits and vegetables, suppressed the levels of an immune system antibody linked to asthma and other allergies when fed to mice, report Japanese researchers in a new study.

A BeverageDaily.com story says the results suggest that a diet rich in these flavonoids could protect and/or reduce the occurrence of asthma and other allergies associated with the immunoglobulin E (IgE).

But because apigenin-rich foods, such as celery and parsley, are often associated with adverse food reactions, it may be that the flavonoid benefits could perhaps be better obtained from supplements.

Apigenin is found in a variety of foods including apples, beans, broccoli, celery, cherries, grapes, leeks, onions, parsley and tomatoes, and plant-derived beverages, especially tea and wine.

Last October, researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Ohio ( US ), reported in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal that apigenin slowed prostate tumour growth in mice in laboratory experiments.

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