Mediterranean Diet Reduces Childhood Asthma Symptoms

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A Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables and cereals, and low in fast foods, was associated with reduced asthma-related symptoms, specifically wheezing, among a cohort of children living in Iran. This study highlights a 32% lower likelihood of wheezing in children with high adherence to a Mediterranean diet, particularly showing significant benefits for boys. However, no overall association was found between the diet and asthma prevalence, and investigators say more research is needed to confirm these findings.

“Alongside with genetic susceptibility, the significant variation in prevalence and severity rate of asthma and its symptoms in geographically dispersed countries prove impressive effects of environmental factors and lifestyle on its epidemiology; hence, as a lifestyle factor, it is not far-fetched to connect dietary pattern and food intake to asthma,” wrote a team of investigators led by Faezeh Poursoleiman, PhD, associated with the Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Previous research has demonstrated that caloric dense foods, red meats, sweets and processed foods—all linked to the Western diet—are important risk factors in asthma prevalence and symptom severity among both children and adults Conversely, diets with higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, oily fish, olive oil and whole meal cereals could be protective against asthma.

The cross-sectional study of 7,667 children and adolescents living in Iran evaluated the dietary intakes, asthma symptoms and other confounders collected using questionnaires completed by parents. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and asthma.

In total, 4.22% of the patients included in the study had a confirmed asthma diagnosis from providers. Patients with asthma were more likely to be older (11.7 years vs 10.9 years), male (58% vs 42.9%), were treated with asthma medications (17.5% vs 1.8%) and reported wheezing in the past 12 months (17.2% vs 7.5%). v

Patients placed in the highest quartile of the Mediterranean diet score had 32% lower odds of wheezing in the past 12 months compared with those in the lowest quartile. A linear reducing trend was also observed in girls regarding wheezing symptoms. Additionally, a significant protective association was observed among boys.

Both girls and boys placed in the highest quartile had 68% and 51% lower odds of reporting current asthma when compared with the first quartile.

Patients with asthma receiving a Mediterranean-style diet, focused on fruits, vegetables and cereals compared with those who had a diet rich in fast foods had reduced wheezing. Additionally, meat intake was shown to have an adverse correlation with asthma prevalence. No link was found between asthma and this dietary pattern. Future research is needed to confirm the findings of this study.

According to investigators, the cross-sectional study design, which hinders the analysis of causal relationships, limits the study. Additionally, there is the possibility of unadjusted confounding variables, which may have impacted findings. Lastly, variations in the definitions of asthma coupled with possible misclassification biases should be noted when interpreting the results.

“In conclusion, while our study adds to the growing body of evidence on the potential benefits of Mediterranean diet in reducing respiratory symptoms like wheezing, the lack of significant associations with current and confirmed asthma warrants further investigation,” investigators concluded. “Future research employing longitudinal designs and standardized asthma definitions across diverse populations will be crucial in elucidating the true impact of dietary patterns on respiratory health.”