Whether it comes in the form of burgers, pizza or takeaways it’s common knowledge that fast food is bad for us. Food that is fried or is high in fat or sugar is more difficult for our bodies to process and in excessive consumption it can lead to very fast weight gain and a long list of problematic medical conditions. However, a new study has revealed some surprising information about conditions that you might not associate with junk food.
The study, published in Thorax, indicates that children who eat fast food three or more times a week are likely to suffer more severe allergic reactions. These reactions include asthma, eczema and hay fever. And while there is no direct proof that these kinds of healthy foods cause the conditions to occur, the evidence of an association between them is compelling.
It should be noted that one of the key things to take from the results is that it supports the general body of evidence that places fast food as highly detrimental to our overall wellbeing. This was the largest study to date on allergies in young people across the world and the findings are very similar all across the world for both boys and girls and regardless of their living environment and economic conditions.
The researchers analysed more than 319,000 teens aged 13 and 14 from 51 countries and more than 181,000 children aged 6 and 7 from 31 countries. Given the popularity of fast food, the findings are very significant in the way that we look at allergies. It should also be an opportunity for doctors to recommend new strategies for avoiding asthma and other conditions.
The team was quick to say that this association between fast food and severe allergies does not necessarily mean that eating less fast food will reduce the severity of conditions.
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