MODERATE ALCOHOL consumption could have reduce the risk of developing athsma, according to research published at the European Respiratory Society’s annualcongress in Amsterdam yesterday.

Researchers at Bispebjerg Hospital in Amsterdam studied over 19,000 twins aged between 12 and 41 over eight years for their study, according to UPI.

While those who drank moderately (between one and six units a week) had the lowest risk of asthma, those who never drank or drank heavily had an increased risk of developing the disease.

Meanwhile, a separate study being presented at the conference today suggests that the reagents a woman is exposed to during pregnancy could increase her child’s risk of developing asthma.

The European Lung Foundation says that Danish researchers studied almost 42,700 children born in Denmark to examine the potential relationship between a mother’s occupation and her child’s development of asthma. They focused on the effect of low molecular weight agents (ie synthetic chemcials and natural substances, found in car parts, furniture, varnish, paints and wood products).

Researchers say that although they found a link showing that 18.6 per cent of the children of women exposed to low molecular weight substances at work had asthma, the results are “modest” and further research is required into the effect of specific substances.