Eating burgers can increase your risk of asthma

Eating hamburgers three or more times a week can raise your risk of asthma, experts have warned.

Chinese scientists found that junk food was associated with the chronic lung condition, which affects five million people in the UK.

It also raised your chance of wheezing and other allergic diseases such as hayfever and allergic rhinitis. The research was published in Respirology.

Other junk foods such as fizzy drinks and takeout did not have such a severe effect.

The researchers, from Sichuan University, said: “In recent decades, fast foods have become an important component of the diet, especially in westernized, high-income countries.

“Fast foods consumption is associated with poor diet quality, high-calorie intake, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Obesity is an independent risk for asthma and allergic sensitization.

“Poor quality diet is likely to contribute to the development and progression of asthma or wheeze via multiple mechanisms. For example, saturated fatty acids can activate receptors which lead to the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals which can contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways.

“A high-fat meal exacerbates airway inflammation in asthma. In addition, the consumption of fast foods reduces the consumption of foods that are rich in protective nutrients, such as fruits and vegetables.

“Fruit and vegetables contain many chemicals that have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. A reduction in fruit and vegetable intake is likely to have an unfavorable impact on asthma prevalence.”

Lead author Dr. Gang Wang said: “Additional studies are needed to confirm the relationships seen in this analysis, however and to identify potential causal associations between the consumption of fast food and allergic diseases.”