Children who eat junk food three times a week have more severe asthma and eczema

• Teenagers who ate three or more helpings of junk food had a 39 per cent increased risk of severe asthma
• Children eating mainly fast food also a higher risk of severe eczema and severe rhinitis
  
• Asthma rates have doubled in last 20 years as diets have become more centered around junk food

By Jenny Hope for the Daily Mail

Published: 09:21 EDT, 14 January 2013 | Updated: 09:27 EDT, 14 January 2013

Children who ate more than three portions of fast food a week had more severe allergy symptoms such as wheezing, runny nose and itchy skin

Eating junk food could worsen asthma and eczema in children, researchers have warned.

Those who ate more than three portions of fast food a week had more severe symptoms such as wheezing, runny nose and eyes, and itchy skin.

Findings from an international study involving more than 100 countries, including the UK, suggest fast food diets in the western world may be contributing to a rise in the conditions.

Experts believe the epidemic of asthma in developed countries could be linked to a move away from natural, fresh foods to fast foods - as has happened here since the 1970s.

Asthma rates in the UK have doubled in the last 20 years at the same time as there has been a steady decline in key vitamins and minerals in children's diets, while consumption of fats in oils and processed foods has soared.

More than five million Britons suffer asthma, including 1.4 million children, and the disease causes 70,000 hospital admissions and 1,400 deaths each year.

In the latest study, researchers examined data concerning 319,000 13 and 14 year olds from 51 countries and 181,000 six and seven year olds from 31 different countries.

The teenagers and parents of the six and seven year olds were questioned on symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis - affecting the nose and eyes - and eczema in the preceding 12 months.

They were also asked about their diet and consumption of certain types of food already linked to protective or damaging effects on health, and frequency was measured as never, occasionally, once or twice a week and three or more times a week.

Teenagers eating three or more helpings of burgers, chips and pizza each week had a 39 per cent increased risk of severe asthma, while children had a 27 per cent increased risk.

Those eating mainly fast food also a higher risk of severe eczema and severe rhinitis, with symptoms of runny or blocked nose and itchy and watery eyes.

Asthma rates in the UK have doubled in the last 20 years at the same time as there has been a steady decline in key vitamins and minerals in children's diets

Writing in the medical journal Thorax, the researchers said if the link was proved to be causal, 'then the findings have major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally'.

But it is not clear whether the extra risk is caused by junk foods or a relative lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet which are known to reduce the chances of breathing problems.

The study also found that eating fruit could have a protective effect on children and adolescents.

Consuming three or more portions a week was linked to a reduction in symptom severity of between 11 per cent among teens and 14 per cent in children.

The researchers said 'Our results suggest that fast food consumption may be contributing to the increasing prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in adolescents and children.'

Previous research has shown that youngsters eating a Mediterranean diet high in fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of asthma.

A team at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, found good lung function was linked to high intakes of vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, citrus fruits, apples and fruit juice.

It is thought that high intake of salt and fatty acids such as those found in margarines could also induce asthma.

Malayka Rahman, research analysis and communications officer at Asthma UK, said 'This research adds to previous studies that suggest a person's diet can contribute to their risk of developing asthma, and indicates the benefit of further research to determine the effects that particular food groups can have on the chances of developing asthma or the impact it may have on severity.

'Evidence suggests that the vitamins and antioxidants found in fresh fruit and vegetables have a beneficial effect on asthma.

'Therefore, Asthma UK advises people with asthma to eat a healthy, balanced diet including five portions of fruit or vegetables every day, fish more than twice a week, and pulses more than once a week.'