By JULIA WATSON
Beware the hot dog. And the BLT sandwich, possibly one of the world’s finest portable meals, a brilliant balance of contrasting tastes and textures. They both may damage our lungs and increase the risk of lung disease.
But only if you eat them too often.
This is the conclusion of a research team from Columbia University. Their findings, just published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, show that cured meats can cause COPD — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The study of 7,352 Americans shows that those who ate cured meats like bacon, baloney, hot dogs and salami sausage at least 14 times a month — that’s a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich every other day — were more likely to have COPD.
This is the group term for several lung conditions ensuing from the two inflammatory lung diseases chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD can damage the airways in the lungs and make it harder to breathe easily. It’s also a major cause of disability and death.
It’s not the cured meats themselves that are the problem. The leader of the research, Dr. Rui Jiang, suspects the nitrates added to preserve, color and protect the cured meats from bacteria may be the culprits. Bacon may be one of the most popular. But consider the U.S. appetite for the hot dog: Sales in 2001 exceeded 20 billion, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.
The team studied the lung function tests of their subjects, who had all taken part in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994. They discovered that those who were the most frequent consumers of cured meats had worse lung function. They were also more likely to suffer from COPD.
What’s equally interesting is the profile of the most common victim of COPD that the study highlighted. It could ring an alarm bell around diners and other purveyors of the breakfast-away-from-home and put an end to the comforting morning ritual of, in British working men’s cafes at least, a read of a tabloid newspaper with a mug of strong tea, a plate of bacon and eggs, and a smoke. Or trigger a slump in sales in U.S. airport departure lounges of the ritual hot dog before boarding.
The scientists found a characteristic type among people who were more inclined to eat cured meats on a regular basis. These were most likely to be male and from a lower socio-economic group than those who didn’t eat cured meats. And they frequently ate less fish and fewer fruits and vegetables and consequently had a lower intake of vitamin C. In addition, they had a higher consumption of calories. They were also more likely to smoke.
Interestingly, though, smoking was let off the hook as affecting the condition of the lungs with respect to this report.
Professor Peter Calverly of the British Thoracic Society told the BBC, This study illustrates that factors other than smoking may contribute to COPD. Although smoking remains the single most significant cause of COPD, this research seems to suggest other factors may result in increased risk of the disease.
Jiang, who is calling for further study into nitrates, does not believe any of these other dietary factors affected the condition of the lungs, saying that adjustment for them in their analyses did not appreciably change their findings.
Anyone appalled at the thought of reducing their bacon intake can turn to health-food stores, such as Whole Foods, where bacon is preserved without nitrates. But even in this form, fried bacon won’t feature high on any list of healthy foods.
Nitrate-free sausages. Serves 4 with 2 sausages each.
Ingredients:
— 1 pound pork chops
— 1 medium onion, peeled and grated
— 1 tablespoon sage
— Ӛ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
— freshly ground black pepper
— 1 egg, beaten
Instructions:
— Grind the pork chops with some of their fat in a food processor, or ask the butcher to do so.
— Mix everything together thoroughly and rest to allow to the flavors to develop, at least one hour.
— Divide the meat into eight, wet the hands and roll each portion into a sausage shape and grill till brown on each side.
Comments