Johns Hopkins recently published a health alert concerning a patient who was confused by some of the instructions given him in regards to nutrition. He was warned against eating bacon, hot dogs, ham or any other types of cured meats. The Florida Lung Doctors bring you the research information that proves this to be true, even though it sounds very odd on the surface. Patients wonder, “How can that salty, fatty yumminess in the stomach end up effecting the breathing in the lungs?” Recent medical studies posed that very question.
Recent studies have shown that diets full of cured meat really can increase your risk of COPD or stimulate a COPD flare-up.
Searching For Clues
A recent study published in European Respiratory Journal established a relationship between cured meat consumption and hospital readmission in people with COPD. From 2004 to 2006, researchers enrolled 274 patients for a first time incident of COPD. It was noted that 42 percent were current smokers; average age, 68 years. Each patient was interviewed about the amount of cured meats generally in their diets. Then researchers followed each COPD patient’s story, until December 2007.
The results were remarkable. “Compared with those who ate the least amount of cured meats, people who ate the most had about twice the risk of COPD-related hospital readmission. The time between patient’s first admission to the hospital to the next readmission for COPD was longest in people who ate the least amount of cured meats.”
Finding the Culprit…
Even more remarkable were the results of a Columbia University study in which the research team discovered people who ate cured meats “14 times a month were more likely to have COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” than those who never or seldom ate cured meats. Dr Rui Jiang, leading the research, stated that these meats have high levels of nitrites, utilized as preservatives, anti-bacterial agents and color fixatives in the processing of the meat.
He found the key to the bacon-lung connection in molecules called reactive nitrogen species. He reported, “Nitrites generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage to the lungs, producing structural changes resembling emphysema.” In this study, they researched 7,352 American individuals who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted between 1988 and 1994.
They compared the results of lung function tests with the risks of developing COPD in participants and found those who ate the meats more often had worse lung function and were more likely to have COPD. Scientists reviewed data on 7,352 U.S. adults who were at least 45 years old.
As part of a larger national health survey, participants took lung function tests and completed dietary surveys. Using the dietary survey, participants reported how often they ate cured meats, which were defined as bacon, sausage, and luncheon meats not including ham. Cured meat intake ranged from never to more than 14 times per month.
About 1,700 participants said they never ate cured meats, but about 1,100 participants said they ate cured meats more than 14 times per month.
Cheer Up With A Healthy Breakfast!
The study shows that the odds of having COPD were 78% higher for people for the cured meat-eaters over those who never ate cured meats. ate cured meats 14 or more times per week than those who never eat cured meats.
Understand that this new research does not prove that your bacon, ham or hot dogs directly cause COPD. It only adds to your risk factors. As with many new studies, these results need more confirmation, and long term study. Florida Lung, Asthma and sleep Specialists Keep in mind that cutting down on cured meat has other payback. You will also keep your blood pressure down and thus, reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
