Dried fruit, acetate, and asthma: a mediation Mendelian randomization analysis

Asthma is a common chronic condition with increasing prevalence. Diet, including dried fruit consumption, has been linked to asthma risk, but the mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates how dried fruit consumption affects asthma risk, focusing on acetate as a potential mediator. We used Mendelian Randomization (MR) to analyze the relationships between dried fruit intake, acetate levels, and asthma. We applied three MR methods—Inverse-Variance Weighted (IVW), Weighted Median (WM), and MR-Egger—to determine causal effects. Dried fruit intake was inversely associated with asthma risk (IVW: β = -0.506, <i>p</i> = 0.0135) and positively associated with acetate levels (IVW: β = 0.269, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). Higher acetate levels were also linked to lower asthma risk (IVW: β=-0.361, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). Mediation analysis showed that acetate mediates approximately 19.22% of the effect of dried fruit on asthma risk. Dried fruit consumption reduces asthma risk, partly through increasing acetate levels. This acetate-mediated pathway accounts for about 20% of the effect, suggesting potential for dietary strategies in asthma prevention and management. Further research could enhance the understanding and applicability of these findings.