People living with smokers have a relatively poor diet, which adds to the health risks of passive smoking. It has been estimated that second-hand
People living with smokers have a relatively poor diet, which adds to the health risks of passive smoking. It has been estimated that second-hand smoke accounts for up to 24 per cent of lung cancer cases. Where people are exposed to passive smoking - usually because they live with a smoker or work in a smoky environment - a healthy diet might offset some of the negative effects.
Researchers at California State University, showed in their new survey, that many people living with smokers are compounding the problem of passive smoking by eating a poor diet. Nonsmoking men living with smokers consume more fat and cholesterol and less calcium and vitamin A than those living with non-smokers. Among nonsmoking women living with smokers, intake of fat was up, while fibre consumption and folic acid were down. These women also drink less water and use more table sweeteners than women who live with non-smokers.
