Children consuming burger diets at risk of asthma

A weekly diet of burgers can affect children’s breathing and increase the risk of developing asthma.

Eating not one but three or more burgers each week was found by medical researchers to leave children vulnerable according to a study published today in Thorax.

The study Effect of diet on asthma and allergic sensitisation in the International Study on Allergies and Asthma in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Two Thorax, looked at data collected between 1995 and 2005 from 50,000 children around the world aged between 8 and 12.

The risk was found to be higher for children living in developed countries such as the UK.

During the study, all parents were questioned about their children’s daily diet and asthma diagnosis.

Around 30,000 of the children in the research were also tested for allergic reactions caused by diet.

Findings showed that diet did not have any connections with common allergies such as grass or tree pollen, but did influence asthma.

Whilst burgers were found to be the biggest culprit, a generally meat heavy diet had no such effect.

The research also found that a Mediterranean style diet rich in vegetables and fish with a high fruit intake significantly decreased asthma risks.