EAACI position paper on diet diversity in pregnancy, infancy and childhood: Novel concepts and implications for studies in allergy and asthma

To fully understand the role of diet diversity on allergy outcomes and to set standards for conducting research in this field, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Task Force on Diet and Immunomodulation has systematically explored the association between diet diversity and allergy outcomes. In addition, a detailed narrative review of information on diet quality and diet patterns as they pertain to allergic outcomes is presented. Overall, we recommend that infants of any risk category for allergic disease should have a diverse diet, given no evidence of harm and some potential association of benefit in the prevention of particular allergic outcomes. In order to harmonize methods for future data collection and reporting, the task force members propose relevant definitions and important factors for consideration, when measuring diet diversity in the context of allergy. Consensus was achieved on practice points through the Delphi method. It is hoped that the definitions and considerations described herein will also enable better comparison of future studies and improve mechanistic studies and pathway analysis to understand how diet diversity modulates allergic outcomes.

Natl Univ Ireland
Griffith University
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
Hanze Univ Appl Sci
Imperial Coll London
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
University of Southampton
Christine Kuhne Ctr Allergy Res & Educ
Gentofte Hospital
Univ Childrens Hosp Zurich
St Marys Hosp
Dietary Counseling & Nutr Therapy Ctr
Univ Hosp Southampton NHS Fdn Trust
Osped Maggiore Policlin
OLVG
Univ Colorado
University of Plymouth
University of Copenhagen
Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority
Universität Kapstadt
Universitatea Transsilvania din Brasov
University of Gothenburg
Medizinische Universität Wien - AKH
King´s College London
Universität Zürich
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Universität Hohenheim
Università degli Studi di Milano
University Children's Hospital Zurich
Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis Hospital
Teagasc
IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
University of Milan
Swiss Institute of Allergy & Asthma Research
Transylvania University of Brasov
University College Cork
University of Cape Town
Imperial College London
University of Colorado System
University of London
University of Padua