Are your children non-vegetarian? If yes, do they consume too much meat? If your nod again states a yes, you should know that their probability of developing asthma is more than others. A recent research published in the journal Thorax has revealed that cooked meat contains too many pro-inflammatory compounds called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) that can cause increased wheezing in children.
According to the World Health Organisation, asthma is common among children and over 339 million people globally had this lung disease in 2016. Also, this international organization has stated that approximately 417,918 people worldwide died due to the disease in the same year. Considering the increasing prevalence of asthma, we need to spread awareness of the disease and its risk factors to reduce the number of death owing to asthma.
Scientists have found that dietary habits play a significant role in the development of asthma. For the study, researchers examined 4388 children from 2003 to 2006. They were between the ages of 2 and 17. During the study, their health and nutritional status were evaluated.
The study results showed that too much meat consumption was associated with respiratory symptoms like wheezing. These signs are factors behind disrupted sleep and exercise. Jing Gennie Wang, lead author of the study said, “We found that higher consumption of dietary AGEs, which are largely derived from intake of non-seafood meats, was associated with increased risk of wheezing in children, regardless of overall diet quality or an established diagnosis of asthma.”
Therefore, it is important to consume meat in the right quantity and at the right frequency.