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Research Centers
Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University

More than 7 million children in the United States have asthma, a chronic disease that causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing. The disease disproportionately affects inner-city African Americans; a disparity scientists believe is due in part to the direct and indirect effects of poverty, including high levels of pollutants and allergens in inner-city homes and neighborhoods. While such disparities in asthma health are not new, the gap has widened over the past 30 years. Research at this Center is designed to test whether eating a poor-quality diet may increase asthma severity among children and whether a high anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory diet increases the body’s ability to respond to stressors while decreasing susceptibility to pollutant and allergen exposures.

At this center, researchers focus on children living in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland to study how certain foods cause asthmatic responses and whether certain foods make a person’s asthma better or worse. Previous research has shown that eating a “Mediterranean diet” rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-fat dairy foods, antioxidants and vitamin D can reduce asthma attacks. On the other hand, a poor-quality diet high in fats from meat, junk food and soda may impair the body’s ability to handle pollution and allergens, potentially leading to more frequent asthma attacks.

Through its research, the center aims to better understand how dietary influences such as the “Mediterranean diet” or other dietary interventions impact asthmatic response to indoor and outdoor pollutants and triggers. The researchers hope to develop practical advice on what foods children could eat to better control their asthma.

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