Burgers Linked to Asthma in Children

A recent study published in the journal Thorax has linked eating burgers to a higher risk of asthma in children. The researchers studied 50,000 children from 20 different countries. Interestingly enough, the results varied based on how rich the country was.

Parents of the participating children were asked to describe their children’s diets and if they had ever been diagnosed with asthma or experienced breathing difficulties such as wheezing or shortness of breath. These children were monitored between 1995 and 2005.

In wealthier countries, eating a minimum of 3 burgers a week was linked to a higher risk of asthma. Researchers don’t believe that this is in itself a specific cause of asthma, more that it’s an indication of a broader problem with poor dietary habits that increase the risk.

Another factor seems to be the location of the children. Different foods seem to lower the risk of asthma in children, depending on what country the children live in. In poorer countries, plenty of fruits and vegetables in the diet seemed to lower the risk, while in richer countries a diet that included fish resulted in less cases of asthma.

Researchers did advise that the test did not take obesity into account; obesity has already been proven to be a risk factor for asthma in children. Personally, and perhaps especially since this fact has been proven, the researchers should have accounted for varying levels of obesity in the study participants.

What this study says to me is that an unhealthy steady diet of foods that are high in fat can lead to asthma in children. Of course, with all of the other health problems such a diet can cause, who wants to eat like that anyway? We should be feeding our children lots of healthy fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and grains.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10218859