Project 2: Dietary Interventions in Asthma Treatment

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Although mouse allergen and pollutant exposures have been linked to asthma morbidity in poor minority populations, these factors do not account for most of the observed morbidity, so that additional environmental factors almost certainly contribute to asthma morbidity in this population. One intriguing environmental factor is diet since the population that is most affected by asthma morbidity and mortality-poor, predominantly African American populations- have a "Western style" diet that is low in anti-oxidant foods and high in saturated fats. The ASTHMA-DIET Center's overall hypothesis is that a low anti-oxidant, pro-inflammatory diet impairs the capacity to respond to oxidative stressors, thereby increasing susceptibility to pollutant and mouse allergen exposure. In Project 2, we hypothesize that altering anti-oxidant and inflammatory characteristics of the diet will (1) prevent oxidative stress (OS), (2) reduce basophil activation, (3) reduce airways inflammation, and (4) improve clinical outcomes in allergic asthma. We propose testing this hypothesis by conducting randomized, controlled trials of two dietary interventions: (1) broccoli sprouts (BS), which increase OS capacity in respiratory epithelium, and (2) the low-saturated fat, anti-inflammatory OmniHeart Diet (OHD). We will test the effects of BS and the OHD on OS, inflammation, basophil activation, and clinical outcomes in Baltimore City adults with mouse allergen-induced asthma. Findings from these studies will lend insight into the role of diet in increasing susceptibility to allergen exposure, potential mechanisms by which diet may influence allergic asthma, and the potential for treating allergic asthma with dietary interventions.