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Milani GP, Alberti I, Abodi M, Lakoumentas J, Konstantinou GN, Papadopoulos NG, Pop RM, Bocsan IC, Cassimos D, Kull I, Bettocchi S, Corsello A, Cugliari M, Ciliberti L, Spolidoro GCI, Agostoni C, Vlieg Boerstra B, Venter C, O'Mahony L, Vassilopoulou E. A systematic review and meta-analysis on nutritional and dietary interventions for the treatment of acute respiratory infection in pediatric patients: An EAACI taskforce. Allergy 2024; 79:1687-1707. [PMID: 38174413 DOI: 10.1111/all.15997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Acute respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Dietary and nutritional interventions, including minerals and vitamin supplementation, have been explored as potential treatments for these infections. However, the evidence on their efficacy is limited and inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the available evidence on the effectiveness of dietary and nutritional interventions for treating acute respiratory tract infections in children. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines in April 2022 and updated in April 2023. Clinical trials focusing on dietary or nutritional interventions, including supplementations, in children with acute respiratory tract infections were included. The selection of interventions and outcomes was based on biological plausibility. Data were extracted using a standardized form, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect models. A total of 50 studies were included in the review. Four trials were conducted in low, 32 in lower-middle, 12 in upper-middle, and only two in high-income countries. The studies evaluated various dietary interventions, including zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, and probiotics. The results of individual studies on the efficacy of these interventions were mixed, with some showing positive effects on clinical outcomes such as duration of symptoms, while others showed no significant impact. Meta-analysis was conducted for zinc supplementation in children with pneumonia, and the pooled results suggested a potential limited benefit in terms of reduced hospital length of stay but not time to recovery. Meta-analyses on vitamin D did not show any effect in children with pneumonia. This systematic review fills a critical gap in the literature by synthesizing the available evidence on the efficacy and safety of nutritional or dietary interventions for acute respiratory tract infections in children. The findings indicate no dietary or nutritional intervention can currently be recommended for the routine treatment of respiratory tract infections in children based on single supplement studies. The metanalysis suggests that zinc supplementation might have a beneficial effect on length of hospitalization in children with pneumonia. New studies are needed to establish more conclusive evidence for pediatric acute respiratory diseases especially for children living in a context of high-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio P Milani
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Alberti
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Abodi
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - John Lakoumentas
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - George N Konstantinou
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 424 General Military Training Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Raluca M Pop
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana C Bocsan
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Dimitrios Cassimos
- Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Inger Kull
- Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silvia Bettocchi
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Corsello
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Cugliari
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Ciliberti
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia C I Spolidoro
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Agostoni
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Berber Vlieg Boerstra
- Department of Pediatrics, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Rijnstate Allergy Centre, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - Carina Venter
- Section of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Liam O'Mahony
- Department of Medicine and School of Microbiology, APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Emilia Vassilopoulou
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
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The Role of Herbal and Nutritional Treatments in the Fight against COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Tract Infections. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182212001. [PMID: 34831757 PMCID: PMC8624644 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
With the growing spread of COVID-19 worldwide, the appeal to alternative and nutritional therapies in conjunction with medical therapies has been heightened. This article aims to review studies assessing the roles of Chinese traditional medicine and nutrition in upper respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Various Chinese herbal protocols have been shown to fight respiratory infections, with several having been tested on the novel coronavirus. Additionally, promising findings have been reported when medical treatments were complemented with nutritional interventions. Supplementation with vitamins C and D, Zinc and Selenium are discussed, in addition to certain phytochemicals and food that also possess immunoregulatory and antiviral properties. Further clinical studies are needed to establish these alternative treatments as part of the management of emerging respiratory infections.
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