Increase Your Risk of COPD by Eating More Deli Meat

What is COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lethal combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Roughly 5 percent of Americans have the disease and of these people 85 percent are smokers. That means that 2 and a quarter million Americans (about 0.75 percent) of the population get this disease despite not being smokers.

Nitrates Increase the Risk of COPD

First of all this is a significant illustration as to why you should not smoke. Second of all the following findings of Columbia University researchers have shown that people who eat "cured meat" such as bacon or deli meat three times (servings) a week have a 78 percent increased risk in developing COPD than the rest of the population.

The reasoning for the increase in COPD development is due the high concentration of nitrates in the meats which are "free radicals that damage the lungs". That means that if you don't smoke and stay away from these meats you should be safely and easily able to decrease your risk of developing this disease to around half of one percent.

To Promote Health Instead

Best Life magazine reported on this back in September of 2007 and they offered the following advice:

You can find nitrate-free deli meats that are labeled accordingly, but the Mediterranean Diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, cuts COPD risk in half, according to a study in the journal Thorax.

The more research I do the more I'm finding that the Mediterranean Diet is pretty good for decreasing your risk for most everything and promoting long and healthy living. If interested I'd invite you to read a little more on this diet and consider makes some corresponding changes to your own diet.

Source
Best Life, Sept. 2007

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