NEW YORK, April 16 (UPI) -- Cured meats eaten frequently can lead to decreased lung function and potential chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, says a U.S. study.
The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, consisted of 7,352 individuals with an average age of 64.5 years with 48 percent male.
Dr. Rui Jiang, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and three associates showed that the "odds ratio" for developing COPD among individuals who consumed cured meat products 14 times or more per month was 1.93, as compared with those who did not consume cured meats. An odds ratio greater than 1 implies that the event is more likely to occur within that group, explains Jiang.
"Cured meats, such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats and cured hams, are high in nitrites, which are added to meat products as a preservative, an anti-microbial agent, and a color fixative," Jiang said in a statement. "Nitrates generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage to the lungs, producing structural changes resembling emphysema."
