Processed meat could aggravate asthma, study warns

Research published in the journal Thorax has suggested that consuming processed meat might make asthma symptoms worse

The study, of nearly 1,000 French people, claimed that dining on more than four portions of processed meat per week is a risk. Half of the participants were asthma sufferers and the remaining number had no history of breathing difficulties. The survey looked specifically at asthma
symptoms - breathlessness, wheeze, chest tightness - and intake of cured meat.

Among the people with asthma, higher meat consumption was linked with a worsening of their lung symptoms. The researchers believe it could be a preservative called nitrite used in meats such as sausages, salami and ham that aggravates the airways.

However, the experts maintained that more investigations are needed and that there are lots of factors in a person's life that can make their asthma worse.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Erika Kennington, head of Research at Asthma UK, said: "Although certain foods can be triggers for allergies in some people, there is no specific dietary advice to manage asthma symptoms generally. For most people with asthma, healthy eating advice is exactly the same as it is for everyone else: follow a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh and unprocessed food and is low in sugar, salt and saturated fat."