The Impact of Food Histamine Intake on Asthma Activity: A Pilot Study.

Emilia Vassilopoulou,Yannis Manios,Anastasia Dimitriou,George N Konstantinou,Lemonica Koumbi,Nikolaos G Papadopoulos

doi:10.3390/nu12113402

Abstract

Asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory disorder. Diet’s impact on asthma symptoms is controversial. The objective of this pilot crossover, randomized, two-period study was to examine the effect of dietary histamine intake on asthma symptoms in twenty-one children with mild intermittent asthma. Children were randomly assigned to either a high- or low-histamine diet, based on the Mediterranean pattern, for 4 weeks. After a 2-week washout period, patients crossed to the alternative diet for 4 additional weeks. Asthma symptoms were assessed at baseline and after the completion of each diet period by a clinician. Daily symptoms and peak flow were recorded throughout the intervention. Adherence to the dietary intervention was assessed via analysis of four random 24-h recalls, for each intervention period. Eighteen children completed the study. Significantly higher mean air flow obstruction was recorded and a trend for prolonged and more severe symptoms was observed during the high-histamine period. Diet may have an active and direct impact on asthma symptoms. Food choice is affected and/or may affect symptoms in children with mild asthma. Diet intervention is promising yet challenging, for asthma control.

Highlights

Asthma is a common chronic disorder of the airways, considered nowadays more as an umbrella term to describe a constellation of clinical symptoms, including wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough, with various underlying pathophysiologies [1]
Mean % predicted FEV1 was 92.6 (±8.6) and no loss of asthma control was recorded during the study period
This randomized crossover dietary intervention aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary histamine in children with mild asthma

Summary

Introduction

Asthma is a common chronic disorder of the airways, considered nowadays more as an umbrella term to describe a constellation of clinical symptoms, including wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough, with various underlying pathophysiologies [1]. Both genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental factors, such as allergens or irritants promoting airway inflammation, are involved [2]. Mediterranean diet, characterized by high consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole wheat products and fish, has been demonstrated to be beneficial on controlling asthma symptoms [3,4]. Other studies have reached conflicting results on the effect of diet in asthma [7,8]

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Discussion

Conclusion