Fast food is not just bad for our waistlines, it could also be contributing to the severity of asthma and eczema. <\/p>\n
An international study involving half a million children and adolescents found three or more servings of fast food a week was linked to an increased risk of severe asthma, eczema and rhinitis, a condition characterised by a runny nose and watery eyes. <\/p>\n
The study, led by Auckland University's paediatrics department and published this week in the respiratory journal Thorax, found a 39 per cent and 27 per cent increased risk of asthma severity in teenagers and children respectively, who consume three or more servings of fast food a week. <\/p>\n
Butter, margarine and pasta were also linked with severe asthma in adolescents. <\/p>\n
But on the upside, fruit appeared to have a protective effect against the allergic conditions. <\/p>\n
Eating three or more portions was linked to a reduction in symptom severity of between 11 per cent and 14 per cent among teenagers and children respectively. <\/p>\n
The study was part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, a large research project encompassing more than 100 countries and nearly two million children worldwide. <\/p>\n
The report's authors said there were plausible reasons for fast food increasing the severity of the conditions. <\/p>\n
Fast foods often contain high levels of saturated and fatty acids which are known to affect immunity. <\/p>\n
Fruit, meanwhile, is rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. <\/p>\n
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See original here: Fast food is not just bad for our waistlines, it could also be contributing to the severity of asthma and eczema. An international study involving half a million children and adolescents found three or more servings of fast food a week was linked to an increased risk of severe asthma, eczema and rhinitis, a condition characterised by a runny nose and watery eyes Continue reading
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