Scientists have revealed that eating ultra-processed foods, like burgers, chicken nuggets, ice cream, instant noodles, ready-meals and more, increases the risks of cardiac anomalies and even early deaths. Ultra-processed foods are manufactured through multiple industrial processes and are often ready-to-eat or heat containing high levels of fat, added sugar and salt.
If you’re one of those who rely on such ultra-processed food to relieve your hunger pangs, well, the revelations from this recent study might just change your choice.
The first study was carried out by scientists from France and Brazil and included over 105,000 French adults.
The study found that a 10% increase in the proportion of “ultra-processed” food in the diet resulted in a 12% increase risk in cardiovascular disease, 13% increase in coronary heart disease and 11% in cerebrovascular diseases, affecting the blood supply to the heart and brain. The results were tallied against intake of unprocessed or minimally processed foods leading to comparatively lower risk of reported diseases.
In yet another study, researchers from the University of Navarra in Spain analysed data from around 20,000 adults over 10 years. The results were shocking! They found that eating more than four servings of “ultra-processed” food per day was linked with a 62% increased risk of death from any cause, compared with those who ate less than two servings. In fact, with each addition serving, mortality risks rise by 18%.
“Improving diet based on adherence to minimally processed food – a key aspect of the Mediterranean diet – has been shown to protect against chronic disease and all causes of mortality. Discouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods; targeting products, taxation, and marketing restrictions on ultra-processed products; and promotion of fresh or minimally processed foods should be considered part of important health policy to improve global public health,” the University of Navarra researchers said.
Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said, “The classification of ultra-processed foods used by the researchers is very broad and so there could be a number of reasons why these foods are being linked to increased risk to our health; for example, nutritional content, additives in food or other factors in a person’s life. Before we consider making any changes to advice or policy it is important to understand this thoroughly.”
“We already recommend people adopt a Mediterranean-style diet which also happens to include plenty of minimally or unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrains. This, along with exercising regularly and not smoking, has been shown to be beneficial for lowering risk of heart and circulatory disease,” added Taylor.
