Ultra-processed foods are subjected to numerous industrial processes and usually contain additives such as colorings, emulsifiers and flavorings. An example of them that we find in all supermarkets are packaged bakery products, snacks, soft drinks, sugary cereals and many packaged foods ready to eat or heat. It is common for ultra-processed foods to contain high levels of added sugars, fats and salt, and are low in vitamins and fiber, and there are scientific studies that have associated them with a greater risk of developing various diseases.
New research believed to be the largest review yet of the impact these foods have on health has found links to 32 health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, mental disorders, cancer and premature death. The results have been published in The BMJ and indicate that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods could be harmful to several body systems.
The study has been carried out by experts from several prestigious institutions, including the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in the US, the University of Sydney and the Sorbonne University in France, who urge that Urgent action is needed to reduce consumption of these products and improve our understanding of the mechanisms linking them to adverse health outcomes.
In fact, these specialists warn that in some high-income countries, ultra-processed foods represent around 58% of total daily energy intake, and the rate of consumption has increased significantly in many low- and middle-income nations in recent decades. .
“Increased exposure to ultra-processed foods was associated with increased risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic disorders, common mental disorders, and mortality outcomes. “These findings provide a rationale for developing and evaluating the effectiveness of population-based and public health measures to reduce dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods and improve human health,” the researchers wrote in their article.
Worse health and greater risk of death with the consumption of ultra-processed foods
The researchers reviewed 45 pooled meta-analyses from 14 review articles published in the past three years, all linking ultra-processed foods to negative health outcomes. The study analyzed data from almost 10 million participants and none of the research was funded by companies associated with the production of ultra-processed foods.
The team estimated exposure to ultra-processed foods from a combination of food frequency questionnaires, 24-hour dietary recalls, and dietary histories. The researchers classified the evidence as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak or no evidence. Additionally, they evaluated the quality of the evidence, assigning it to categories such as high, moderate, low or very low.
“Compelling evidence showed that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with about a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48-53% increased risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Highly suggestive evidence also indicated that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 21% increased risk of death from any cause, a 40-66% increased risk of death related to heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and sleep problems, and a 22% increased risk of depression,” they explained.
“A higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 50% increase in the risk of death related to cardiovascular diseases”
“The study reports an increased health risk associated with exposure to ultra-processed foods for virtually all pathologies. The strongest evidence available has been found for associations between increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and all-cause mortality, mortality related to cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, overweight and obesity, and type 2 diabetes. , the authors recommend the implementation of public health strategies aimed at reducing dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods to improve human health,” says Javier Sánchez Perona, senior scientist at the Fat Institute- Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), in SMC Spain. , who did not participate in the study.
“This work provides a very detailed image of the impact that ultra-processed products have on health, with the best scientific evidence that can be used to answer this research question: epidemiological studies in diverse populations in which the usual diet and the participants have been followed until we see who gets sick and who remains healthy,” adds Esther López-García, professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Autonomous University of Madrid and senior researcher at IMDEA-Food, in statements to the same half.
“With the evidence that already exists, it is possible to make recommendations to the population to limit their consumption (in this sense, the 2023 Food Guides for the Spanish population already contemplate this warning) and legislate to discourage the population from consuming these foods ( taxes, warning labels or control of advertising of these foods)”, concludes the expert.
