Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of wheezing and asthma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

• Published in: Nutrition reviews Vol. 72; no. 7; pp. 411 - 428
• Main Authors: Seyedrezazadeh, Ensiyeh, Pour Moghaddam, Masoud, Ansarin, Khalil, Reza Vafa, Mohammad, Sharma, Sangita, Kolahdooz, Fariba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ International Life Sciences Institute 01-07-2014; Wiley; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: adults; Asthma; Asthma - diet therapy; Asthma - prevention & control; Bibliographic data bases; Biological and medical sciences; childhood; children; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; confidence interval; Consumption; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - standards; experimental design; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fruit; fruit consumption; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Medical sciences; Meta-analysis; Pneumology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - diet therapy; relative risk; Respiratory Sounds; Risk Factors; Systematic review; vegetable consumption; Vegetables; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; wheezing; Lung disease; Vegetables; Fruit; Nutrition; Respiratory disease; Risk factor; Bronchus disease; Wheezing; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Review; Asthma; asthma; wheezing; vegetables; fruit
• ISSN: 0029-6643; 1753-4887
• DOI: 10.1111/nure.12121

Major bibliographic databases were searched for studies examining the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of wheezing and asthma. Random‐effects models were used to pool study results. Subgroup analyses were conducted by fruit and vegetable categories, study design, and age group. Twelve cohorts, 4 population‐based case‐control studies, and 26 cross‐sectional studies published between January 1990 and July 2013 were identified. For the meta‐analysis of adults and children, the relative risk (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) when comparing the highest intake group with the lowest intake group were 0.78 (95%CI, 0.70–0.87) for fruit and 0.86 (95%CI, 0.75–0.98) for vegetables. High intake of fruit and vegetables (RR = 0.76; 95%CI, 0.68–0.86 and RR = 0.83; 95%CI, 0.72–0.96) reduced the risk of childhood wheezing. Total intake of fruit and vegetables had a negative association with risk of asthma in adults and children (RR = 0.54; 95%CI, 0.41–0.69). Consuming fruit and vegetables during pregnancy had no association with the risk of asthma in offspring. High intake of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of asthma and wheezing in adults and children.