Fast food cancels breastfeeding benefits

Children who are exclusively breastfed for 12 weeks or longer have a lower risk of developing asthma, but this benefit appears to be negated if the children eat fast food more than twice a week, studies indicate.

According to Canadian researchers, previous studies have shown that children who are exclusively breastfed have a lower risk of developing asthma.

“But this beneficial effect was only seen in children who did not consume fast food, or only occasionally had fast food,” they said.

The study, which involved more than 700 children (250 of whom had asthma), suggests that the high fat ../../content and high salt levels in fast food, which can increase twitchy airways and wheezing, may be to blame.

Over half of the children studied ate fast food more than twice a week.

The researchers added that the prevalence of fast food in today’s society may explain why asthma rates keep rising even though more mothers are breastfeeding.

These findings are published in the international journal, Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

[Posted: Sat 31/01/2009]