Hamburgers cause asthma, NZ research says

[Guest guest]

[Not to mention the rain forest is chopped down,

resulting in mass extinction, all because of our

consumption of cows. Rick.]

 

Hamburgers cause asthma, NZ research says

 

 

08.11.05 1.00pm

By Kent Atkinson

 

 

Eating hamburgers more than once a week nearly doubles

the risk of asthma

attacks and wheezing in children, according to

research carried out on 1300 New

Zealand school pupils.

 

Other takeaway food and fizzy drinks also increase the

chances of getting

asthma, doctors found.

 

Youngsters who eat at least one hamburger a week are

75 per cent more likely to

have asthma and almost 100 per cent more likely to

suffer wheezing problems,

according a study published yesterday in the

international scientific journal

Allergy.

 

The investigation of the extent to which fast foods

are a risk factor for asthma

was led by Dr Kristen Wickens of the Wellington Asthma

Research Group, based at

the Wellington Medical School.

 

The group -- investigating the role played by

lifestyle changes over the past 30

years in a large increase in allergic disease --

linked the consumption of fast

food to the prevalence of asthma and allergy.

 

They used 1321 children in Hastings, aged between 10

and 12 years, and recorded

their diet, as well as checking asthma and asthma

symptoms as part of an

international study of asthma and allergies in

childhood known as ISAAC.

 

After adjusting for lifestyle factors, including other

foods and how fat the

children were in comparison with children who never

ate hamburgers, they found

frequent consumption of hamburgers was linked to

asthma symptoms.

 

The higher the consumption of hamburgers, the higher

the incidence of asthma.

 

Dr Wickens said diets containing junk foods which are

high in salt could be

contributing to the problem.

 

" The high salt content in hamburgers may increase the

risk of wheezy illness, "

she said.

 

Asthma is worst in developed countries, which tend to

have about 6 per cent of

their population affected. New Zealand has the highest

incidence in developed

countries at 20 per cent.

 

A greater proportion of teenagers in New Zealand than

in other countries suffer

from asthmatic symptoms, such as wheezing,

breathlessness and tight-chestedness.

 

 

Some theories have blamed Western diets, higher

standard of living, falling

levels of exercise rates, and increased dustmites and

pollution.

 

But Tokyo, with higher pollution than Wellington has

only one fifth of the

asthma incidence, while the Scottish island of Skye

has the highest incidence of

asthma in Britain and almost no pollution.

 

- NZPA

 

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=204 & ObjectID=10354170

 

 

 

 

 

 

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