Which came first, the burger or the wheezing? That is a question some doctors are examining after the results of an international study that shows that children who eat three or more burgers a week may be at a higher risk of asthma.
As a parent of a child who has asthma, this study sparked my attention. We all know that there is a link between diet and health, of course, but is this a case where there is something in a burger itself that can contribute to respiratory disease, or is it a matter of circumstance and lifestyle. For instance, does eating three burgers a week indicate that a child does not have adequate nutrition, exercise or experiences other risk factors for asthma.
In fact, this is what the researchers seem to have concluded: diets rich in burgers may also be lacking in fruit, vegetables and fish. Other studies have supported the idea that healthy eating that includes a significant amount these three food groups, supports lunch heath and function. Food rich in vitamin C has been shown to be especially effective.
The international study, which involved researchers from three different countries, studies the data from 50,000 children across the world. Interestingly enough, Asthma is the most common chronic disease in the United States, a country with a high availability of junk food.
Of course I can’t help but compare this to my own family. My own asthmatic child is thin and highly active. He eats a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, organic when possible. We eat no red meat at home, and all burgers are made from ground turkey. The one thing that we do have lacking in his diet is fish, but I try to make up for that with other foods that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
To learn more about this recent study, you can read the Reuters article on MSNBC.com.