The effect of fiber addition with prebiotic properties to the diet on asthma parameters in children with atopic asthma

Asthma is one of the chronic diseases, which is the leading reason for the most frequent hospitalization in the world and our country. The asthma treatment aims to control the symptoms and consequently, the inflammation. It has been reported that the presence of sufficient microbial composition in the digestive tract may prevent the development of asthma. In this study, the effects of wheat-germ bread and dietary fiber supplementation with prebiotic properties on the children's asthma symptoms were investigated. Fifty-two children aged 12-18 with atopic asthma, who were treated and followed-up in the child allergy clinic for at least one year, were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as experiment and control groups. The experiment group was allowed to consume 100 gr of bread with 5 gr wheat germ in 3 months. The patient in the control group consumed bread prepared as placebo during the follow-up period. Total venous blood was collected from the patients at the beginning of the study and the end of each month. Also, the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) and height-weight measurements were performed during the monthly periodic follow-up. As a result of the study, FEV1 (p=0.029), PEF (p=0.049), and MEF 25-75 (p=0,026) values were found to be significantly increased in the experiment group compared to the control group. While there were no significant changes in the Asthma Control Test scores and Eosinophil values of the groups, there was a significant difference in the total IgE value of the experiment group in a time-dependent manner (p=0.004). According to the findings, the addition of prebiotic fiber to the diet led to the changes that could be important in SFT and IgE values in children with atopic asthma. Therefore, it is concluded that the prebiotic dietary supplementation may help alleviate the asthma symptoms in children with atopic asthma.