Synthetic bedding 'can cause asthma'

Times of India

Feb 07, 2026

Image Source : Asian Chronicle

NEW YORK: Are you prone to asthma? Then avoid synthetic bedding, for a recent study has claimed that it can aggravate asthma more than feather products as it contains high levels of fungal cells.

An international team has found that synthetic bedding contains much higher levels of fungi related beta glucan than feather bedding, which are non-allergenic components from the cell walls of fungi that can account for up to 60 per cent of the weight of the cell.

"This study adds further strong evidence that feather bedding is better than synthetics if you have asthma. This is because beta glucan is pro-inflammatory and associated with lung function changes including peak flow variability in kids.

"There have already been a number of international studies that show synthetic bedding is associated with more asthma symptoms compared to feather bedding," lead researcher Rob Siebers of Otago University said.

For their study, the researchers looked at 178 samples obtained from 35 floors, 35 mattresses, 35 duvets, 73 pillows. The total beta glucan levels of synthetic pillows were two to three times higher than from feather pillows.