Asthma and nutrition: diet for the primary prevention and treatment of asthma

Czech version

Authors: I. Klimešová ¹; K. Neumannová ²; R. Šlachta ³
Authors‘ workplace: Katedra přírodních věd v kinantropologii, Fakulta tělesné kultury UP, Olomouc, Vedoucí: prof. RNDr. Miroslav Janura, Ph. D. ¹; Katedra fyzioterapie, Fakulta tělesné kultury UP, Olomouc, Vedoucí: prof. MUDr. Jaroslav Opavský, CSc. ²; Katedra rekreologie, Fakulta tělesné kultury UP, Olomouc, Vedoucí: Mgr. Zdeněk Hamřík ³
Published in: Prakt. Lék. 2012; 92(4): 198-202
Category: Reviews

Overview

This article summarizes new findings about the importance of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of asthma. There is no doubt that diet plays an important role in the development and progress of asthma. Dietary factors often associated with asthma are antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin D and the Mediterranean diet.

Currently there is insufficient evidence to support antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of asthma. Therefore basic dietary advice is to consume antioxidant-rich food such as fruit and vegetables. The results of studies that focused on the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids are very inconsistent, but as with antioxidants, it is recommended their intake come from natural resources (fish oil, olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds, and plants). Vitamin D is the nutrient that is currently being researched in the context of asthma therapy, it is recommended that an adequate intake of Vitamin D be ensured especially for long-term treatment and/or high dosages with corticosteroids. The benefits of a Mediterranean diet for the prevention and treatment of asthma have been proven by numerous scientific studies (thanks to routine consumption of fruits of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, meat and fish).

The diet of people with food allergies or gastroesophageal reflux requires the exclusion of foods that cause the problem. If the food choice is extremely limited, it is appropriate to provide expert nutritional advice.

Key words:
asthma, nutrition, antioxidants, Mediterranean diet, vitamin D, polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Sources

1. Allan, K., Devereux, G. Diet and asthma: nutrition implications from prevention to treatment. J Am Diet Assoc, 2011, 111, p. 258–268.

2. Allen, S., Britton, J., Leonardi-Bee, J. Association between antioxidant vitamins and asthma outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax, 2009, 64, p. 610–619.

3. Bird, J.A., Burks, A.W. Food allergy and asthma. Prim Care Respir J, 2009, 18, 258–265.

4. Camargo, C.A. Jr, Rifas-Shiman, S.L., Litonjua, A.A., et al. Maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy and risk of recurrent wheeze in children at 3 y of age. Am J Clin Nutr, 2007, 85, p. 788–795.

5. Chatzi, L., Kogevinas, M. Prenatal and childhood Mediterranean diet and the development of asthma and allergies in children. Public Health Nutr, 2009, 12, p. 1629–1634.

6. Chatzi, L., Torrent, M., Romieu, I., et al. Diet, wheeze, and atopy in school children in Menorca, Spain. Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2007, 18, p. 480–485.

7. Dusilová Sulková, S. Nezastupitelná úloha vitaminu D v prevenci a léčbě osteoporózy. Prakt. lékáren., 2011, 7(2), 58–61.

8. Foliaki, S., Annesi-Maesano, I., Tuuau-Potoi, N., et al. Risk factors for symptoms of childhood asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in the Pacific: An ISAAC Phase III study. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2008, 12, p. 799–806.

9. Grossman, J.M., Gordon, R., Ranganath, V.K., et al. American College of Rheumatology 2010 recommendations for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Arthritis Care Res, 2010, 62, 1515–1526.

10. Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20 536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo controlled trial. Lancet, 2002, 360(9326), p. 7–22.

11. Hu, G., Cassano, P. Antioxidants and pulmonary function: The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Am J Epidemiol, 2000, 151, p. 975–981.

12. Hyppönen, E., Sovio, U., Wjst, M., et al. Infant vitamin D supplementation and allergic conditions in adulthood: northern Finland birth cohort 1966. Ann NY Acad Sci, 2004, 1037, p. 84–95.

13. Klimešová, I. Základní stravovací doporučení. In: Neumannová, K., Kolek, V. a kol. Asthma bronchiale a chronická obstrukční plicní nemoc. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2012, s. 140–145.

14. Kohout, P. Výživa u pacientů s idiopatickými střevními záněty. Postgraduální medicína, 2011, 2, 122–127.

15. Lips, P. Worldwide status of vitamin D nutrition, J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 2010, 121(1–2), p. 297–300.

16. Litonjua, A.A., Gold, D.R. Asthma and obesity: Common early-life influences in the inception of disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2008, 121, p. 1075–1084, quiz p. 1085–1076.

17. McCloud, E., Papoutsakis, C. A medical nutrition therapy primer for childhood asthma: Current and emerging perspectives. J Am Diet Assoc, 2011, 111, p. 1052–1064.

18. Morris, A.J. Potravinové alergie. Závěry vzdělávacího cyklu EAACI/GA2LEN. Praha: Institut UCB pro alergii, 2006.

19. Murr, CH., Schroecksnadel, K., Winkler, C., et al. Antioxidants may increase the probability of developing allergic diseases and asthma. Med Hypotheses, 2005, 64, p. 973–977.

20. Nagel, G., Linseisen, J. Dietary intake of fatty acids, antioxidants and selected food groups and asthma in adults. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2005, 59, p. 8–15.

21. Nurmatov, U., Devereux, G., Sheikh, A. Nutrients and foods for the primary prevention of asthma and allergy: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2011, 127(3), p. 724–733.

22. Pronsky, Z.M., Crowe, J.P. Food Medication Interactions. 16^th edition. Birchrunville, PA: Food Medication Interactions, 2010.

23. Sala-Vila, A., Miles, E.A., Calder, P.C. Fatty acid composition abnormalities in atopic disease: Evidence explored and role in the dinase process examined. Clin Exp Allergy, 2008, 38, p. 1432–1450.

24. Searing, D.A., Zhang, Y., Murphy, J.R., et al. Decreased serum vitamin D levels in children with asthma are associated with increased corticosteroid use. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2010,125, 995–1000.

25. Szefler, S.J. Advances in pediatric asthma in 2008: Where do we go now? J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2009, 123, p. 28–34.

26. Takemura, Y., Sakurai, Y., Honjo, S., et al. The relationship between fish intake and the prevalence of asthma: The Tokorozawa Childhood Asthma and Pollinosis Study. Prev Med, 2002, 34, p. 221–225.

27. Thomas, D. A study on the mineral depletion of the foods available to us as a nation over the period 1940 to 1991. Nutrition Health, 2003, 17, p. 85–115.

28. Vardavas, C.I., Flouris, A.D., Tsatsakis, A., et al. Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet have a protective effect against active and passive smoking? Public Health, 2011, 125, p. 121–128.

29. Whitrow, M.J., Moore, V.M., Rumbold, A.R., Davies, M.J. Effect of supplemental folic acid in pregnancy on childhood asthma: a prospective birth cohort study. Am J Epidemiol, 2009, 170(12), 1486–1493.

30. Wjst, M., Dold, S. Genes, factor X, and allergens: What causes allergic diseases? Allergy, 1999, 54, p. 757–759.