title: Influence of mediterranean diet on asthma symptoms, lung function, and systemic inflammation: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The rapidly increasing prevalence of asthma in developed countries suggests an environmental cause. The benefits of Mediterranean diet (MD) in cardiovascular disease have been tentatively attributed to its anti-inflammatory properties. Asthma is an inflammatory disease and MD is associated with reduced asthma risk in epidemiological studies, but there are no reported interventional studies of MD in asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this 12-week open-label randomized trial, 38 adults with symptomatic asthma were allocated to high-intervention (HI), low-intervention (LI), and control groups. The first two groups were encouraged to adopt an MD and received multiple consultation sessions with a nutritionist, written advice, and vouchers for the purchase of appropriate foods. Food frequency questionnaires, asthma control questionnaires, asthma-related quality of life questionnaires (AQLQs), and spirometry were completed at the beginning and at the end of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MDt score increased in the HI group (p < .001), indicating successful alteration of dietary behavior. Statistically, nonsignificant improvements were seen in spirometry and several AQLQ subdomains in the two intervention groups. No changes were seen in the asthma control or in inflammatory markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trial intervention has successfully altered the dietary behavior among adults with asthma. Small but consistent improvements were seen in quality of life and spirometry among the intervention group. The use of the MD to treat asthma is feasible and warrants evaluation in a larger study, powered to examine clinical endpoints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. p.sexton@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: Clare R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sommerville
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma