High consumption of cured and processed meats can worsen Asthma symptoms

Heavy intake of cured and processed meats in the form of ham, sausages and salami can worsen your asthma symptoms as suggested by a new study.

Cured and processed meats are high in nitrites which play an important role in airway inflammation, which is a typical feature of asthma.

As per the study, it was revealed that persons who ate four or more serving of cured and processed meat weekly are 76% more prone to experience the worsening asthma symptoms compared to those who consume less.

The worsening asthma symptoms include difficulty in breathing, chest tightness and shortness of breath (SOB).

Zhen Li of Paul Brousse Hospital in Paris, France stated: “This research extends the deleterious effect of cured meat on health, and the effect of diet on asthma in adults, and provides a novel analytic approach regarding the role of BMI in the diet-asthma association”.

The researchers further added that the results drawn from the study has revealed that cured and processed meat plays a potential role in the functioning of lungs and overall health.

The research team carried out the study by examining 971 adults that include 49% of men. The dietary intake of these test people was measured using food frequency questionnaires that comprises of 118 items in 46 food groups.

Cured meat which includes ham, sausage and salami was classified as low weekly serving for one or fewer persons, as medium weekly serving for those for one-four persons and high serving for four to more persons.

Persons who are obese or overweight were previously linked to worsening of asthma, but it just accounted for 14% with this study. The study was published in the journal Thorax.

It has revealed that the meat intake is linked to asthma symptoms.