Diet to protect lungs from woodsmoke
FIRE-Diet: Food as an Intervention to Reduce the Effects of Woodsmoke Exposure on Respiratory Health
This project will test whether eating more fatty fish, fruits, and vegetables can protect healthy adults’ lungs from short-term woodsmoke exposure.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 48 (estimated) |
| Ages | 19 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of British Columbia Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Vancouver, British Columbia) |
| Trial ID | NCT06711614 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Forty-eight healthy adults (24 male and 24 female at birth) who currently eat little fish and fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day will be enrolled and required to have a null GSTM1 genotype. Participants will be supported to follow either a diet higher in fatty fish, fruits, and vegetables or a control diet while undergoing three controlled exposures (one filtered air and two woodsmoke) with repeated blood, urine, sputum, and lung function measurements. The protocol includes a screening visit plus 10 in-person visits at Vancouver General Hospital over about 15 weeks (≈34.5 hours on site), meal/grocery deliveries or subsidies, weekly 30-minute phone calls with a study dietitian, and some at-home electronic questionnaires and breathing tests. The team will compare biological and lung-function responses after woodsmoke exposures between the diet groups to see if the dietary pattern reduces harm.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Healthy, non-pregnant adults who currently eat fewer than two servings of fish per week and fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, have a null GSTM1 genotype, can provide a sputum sample, and can attend visits at Vancouver General Hospital are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with existing respiratory disease, frequent real-world woodsmoke exposure, pregnancy, inability to follow the diet, current supplement use that cannot be stopped, or inability to provide sputum are unlikely to receive benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the diet could reduce short-term lung inflammation and functional effects from woodsmoke exposure and offer a practical way to protect people during wildfire seasons.
How similar studies have performed: Some observational studies and small trials suggest omega‑3 and antioxidant-rich diets may blunt air-pollution harms, but evidence is limited and this exact woodsmoke dietary intervention is not yet proven.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy, and specifically with no respiratory disease * Not taking any supplements, or willing to abstain from supplement use for 4-weeks prior to study start and the whole duration of the study, * Must currently consume, on average, less than 2 servings of fish per week and fewer than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day based on screening questionnaires. * Must have a null GSTM1 genotype determined at screening. * Must be able to provide a sufficient sputum sample during the screening visit. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study period. * Health conditions that would pose an unacceptable risk of dietary change, or conditions that are uncontrolled based on principal investigator's judgement. * Actively attempting to lose weight. * Frequent wood smoke exposure (e.g. at home or employment). * Unable to store provided meals and food safely. * Food allergies/intolerance or food aversion preventing adherence to the intervention diet, or unwillingness/medically unable to adjust diet in line with the intervention. * Relocation during the study period to an area which will prevent food delivery. * History of smoking tobacco, marijuana, or and other substance or vaping within the past 6 months, or having smoked the equivalent of 0.5 pack-years ever. * Body mass index (BMI) \<18.5, as determined during the in-person screening visit.
Where this trial is running
Vancouver, British Columbia
- University of British Columbia — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Emily Brigham, MD — University of British Columbia
- Study coordinator: Agustin Bueso
- Email: agustin.bueso@ubc.ca
- Phone: 604-875-4111
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.