Fruits and vegetables are an extremely important part of our diet, especially for children - a factor that is constantly emphasized by scientists. However, the menu of many children does not include fresh foods. According to a new study, this can significantly increase the risk of developing asthma .
Many of the foods sold in stores actually have no nutritional value, as well as a place in a balanced diet.
Dr. Devon Preston and the research team at the University of Virginia in the United States analyzed data from the health records of a total of 2,043 children between 2014 and March 2015. It was found that about 10% of children live within 1.5 km of supermarket and it is among them that there is an increased risk of developing asthma compared to their peers who do not live near such stores.
Initially, the difference may not seem very big - 17% of children living near a supermarket, which is not more than 1.5 km away, suffer from asthma, compared to 21% of those who are further away. . It becomes brighter when researchers consider other asthma- related diseases and conditions .
After checking the data on the presence of obesity and hay fever , the experts came to the conclusion that among children consuming foods without real nutritional value, the risk of asthma increases by as much as 53%.
The findings overlap with data from previous studies linking these harmful foods to a high risk of diabetes , hypertension , depression and other health problems.
Experts explain that fast food and so-called "comfort foods" are highly processed and as a result are sterile. On the other hand, natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, contain natural bacteria and other nutrients. This may be evidence that the microbiome also influences the development of asthma .