Processed meat also worsens asthma

symptoms
Consumption of four or more weekly portions of processed meat may increase the
likelihood of worsening asthma symptoms by up to 76%

Processed meat, that is, all meat that has been subjected to curing, fermentation,
smoking, or other processes to enhance taste and preserve food, is carcinogenic. This
was warned by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015, through a report in
which he warned that consumption of such meats: hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers,
bacon or cured meat, was associated with a much greater risk of developing colorectal
cancer. However, it appears that the health effects of processed meat do not end here.
Furthermore, that as a study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of
Health and Medical Research in France (INSERM), points out that the daily
consumption of this meat also worsens, and very significantly, asthma symptoms.

Zhen Li, director of the research explains, "our work extends the deleterious effects
of processed meats on health, as well as the effect of diet on asthma in adult patients
and offers new analytical approach in the association between diet and asthma '.

Discouraging consumption
In order to carry out the research, the authors analyzed the data recorded between the
years 2011 and 2013 on diet - especially on processed or cured meat consumption -
body mass index (BMI), asthma symptoms - Among others, lack of breath or 'dyspnea'
and the feeling of chest tightness - and the demographic characteristics of 971 adults
with asthma.

The results showed that 513 participants - or about 53% of the total sample - did not
experience any change in the symptomatology of asthma during the three years of study.
And also, that the symptoms had improved in 27% of the cases and worsened in the
remaining 20%.

The authors observed a relationship between processed or cured meat and worsening of
asthma symptoms. And it is that with increasing weekly consumption of this meat,
the greater the percentage of participants who experienced a worsening of
symptoms of the disease: 14% for those who consumed less than a weekly half
portion; 20% for those who had ingested an average of one to four portions per week;
And 22% for those who ate more than four per week.

Moreover, other factors such as smoking, exercise, sex and age, could also influence
asthma symptoms, the results showed that patients who consumed the highest
amounts of processed meat -more than four portions per week- had a chance 76%
greater of suffering a worsening of the disease than those with the lowest
consumption of such meat -less than one serving a week.

Source of nitrites
And in this context, what relationship was established between overweight and asthma
symptoms? As the authors pointed out, "although overweight and obesity have been
associated with a worsening of the disease, our estimates show that they represented
only 14% of this association, suggesting that processed meat consumption may play an
independent role in the symptomatology of asthma ".

In short, eating processed meat, and especially when this consumption exceeds four
portions per week, leads to a worsening of asthma symptoms.

But, exactly, to what does this negative effect obey? The truth is that since it is an
observational study and, therefore, conclusions can not be drawn from the 'cause and
effect' type. However, the authors conclude, "processed and cured meats are rich in
nitrites, compounds that may play a role in inflammation of the airways that
occurs in this disease."