A controlled study of the effects on manifestations of chronic asthma of a rigid elimination diet based on Rowe's Cereal-Free Diet 1, 2, 3

Abstract Rowe has contended that chronic asthma due to food allergy is common and can be detected by observing improvement in wheezing following introduction of a diet containing foods believed to cause asthma rarely, particularly his Cereal-Free Diet 1, 2, 3. We have tested Rowe's hypothesis by comparing the effects of two diets on patients with chronic asthma. Diet 1 (based on Rowe's Cereal-Free Diet 1, 2, 3) consisted of foods reported to cause asthma rarely; Diet 2 contained foods reported to cause asthma commonly, including cereal, milk, eggs, and seafood. We attempted to determine whether these patients would have less wheezing and require less medication during three weeks on Diet 1 than during three weeks on Diet 2. The patient's diet instructor attempted to make each diet appear equally likely to help. The physician evaluating patients' progress did not know which diet they were receiving. Patients kept daily records of wheezing severity and medication used, from which scores were calculated. Eighteen patients were studied. Though wheezing and medication scores were usually similar during periods on each diet, they indicated that the diet associated with less asthma was Diet 2 in 10 patients, Diet 1 in 6, and indeterminate (equal scores) in 2. Patients usually lost weight on Diet 1 and maintained their weight on Diet 2. This study demonstrated no significant differences between the severity of manifestations of asthma associated with Diets 1 and 2 in this group of patients.