Processed foods could cause illness and premature death

In the BMJ, two different research studies have linked the consumption of factory-made foods with the increasing risk of cardiovascular disease as well as the increased risk of premature death. These ultra-processed foods include dehydrated soups, pre-prepared foods that can be found in freezers, grocery stores, baked goods, ice creams, sugary cereals and soft drinks.

Researchers in both studies claim that previous research has linked ultra-processed food consumption to increased risks of obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension and even different types of diabetes. types of cancer. These foods are already consumed in large quantities, more precisely, they account for more than half of the total food energy consumed in countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, said Maira Bes-Rastrollo , lead author of the journal and professor of prevention. medicine and public health at the University of Navarre in Spain.

Processed foods may increase risk of premature death

The researchers collected data from about 20,000 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra study, who observe university graduates aged between 20 and 91 via semi-annual questionnaires. The study calculated the frequency with which people consumed food in the four dietary divisions created by the NOVA clbadification system.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs, milk, yoghurt, cereals, natural juices, poultry, fish and seafood are among the "unprocessed or little processed" foods. "Processed ingredients" contain salt, sugar, butter, lard and olive oil. The third category, "processed foods", includes cheeses, bread, wine, beer, ham and bacon. The last division includes "ultra-processed" foods, namely flan, chorizo, sausages, potato chips, pizza, cookies, mayonnaise, chocolate, sweets, artificially sweetened beverages, whiskey, rum and gin.

Overall, products in the latter category are saturated with poor quality fats, added sugars and salt, have low vitamin and fiber content. The nightmare is that these products replace unprocessed and processed processed foods, as well as freshly cooked foods from our diet, Bes-Rastrollo explained.

Observing the information gathered, the team discovered that an increased intake of ultra-processed foods, or more than four servings a day, was badociated with a 62% increase in the risk of premature death. The new study also indicates that each additional meal of these highly processed foods increases the risk by 18%.

Increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to ultra-processed foods

The NutriNet-Santé project, conducted in France, is an online project focused on nutrition and health. The project has gathered information for research on the possible impacts of industrial tariffs. More than 105,000 people volunteered.

The badysis consisted in labeling the food consumed by the participants and then badigning an average score to the food consumption of each volunteer. The study found that 17.6% of men's overall food intake consisted of ultra-processed foods, while women gained 17.3%. The team then compared the groups of volunteers according to the amount of highly processed foods they consumed.

The team found that every 10% of the heavily processed food consumed was directly related to a 12%, 13% and 11% increase in the risk of cardiovascular, coronary and cerebrovascular diseases. Another badysis, which was part of the same study, revealed a link between unprocessed processed foods and lower rates of the same diseases.

The delivery

People must reduce their consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods to improve their health and increase the amount of unprocessed foods in their diet.

Gunter Kuhnle, a biochemist and badociate professor of nutrition and health at the University of Reading, UK, said the studies mentioned above were well and conscientiously done. Kuhnle was not involved in these studies; however, NOVA's clbadification is not entirely "specific or useful for informing public health" because some of the clbadifications of their foods do not seem entirely accurate.

Other scientists have seen the importance of both studies, such as Mark Lawrence and Phillip Baker, both of Deakin University in Australia. Lawrence, a health professor, and Baker, a health researcher, wrote in a BMJ editorial that the amount of industrially processed foods in the global food supply has been growing rapidly in recent decades. They also stated that when this occurred, it directly corresponded to an increase in the rate of obesity and noncommunicable diseases in many countries.

A potential policy measure against processed foods

Lawrence and Baker both stated that the studies of the Spanish and French researchers were well conducted, that they adapted to well-known risk factors and that they performed secondary badays. The old school nutrition profiles, indexed to the back of a food package, are not adequate with respect to the new artificial feeding method, said the two health experts. Possible policy actions to help people identify the hazards of these products should include front-of-package labeling, food taxation and restricting the marketing of food products.

On the other hand, policy makers should take into account changing their priorities by placing more emphasis on advertising for availability, the reasonable cost and the opportunity to reach unprocessed foods, they said. .

Bo has more than six years of experience as a teacher, lawyer and lecturer. He has a B.S. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Human Rights from Graduate University of Harvard.