Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced foods that contain high amounts of salt, sugar and fat, such as junk food, retort foods and snacks. The study analyzed 14 comments involving nearly 10 million people and found that eating ultra-processed foods has negative health effects in 32 categories, including mortality and mental health.
Modern times have seen an increase in the consumption of a wide range of ultra-processed foods such as junk food, retort foods, cereals, protein bars and fizzy drinks, with over half of the average diet in the UK and US consisting of ultra-processed foods. Indeed. Diets containing about 80% ultra-processed foods are particularly common among young people, the poor and those living in deprived areas.
Ultra-processed foods are often manufactured using a variety of industrial processes and contain additives such as colorants, emulsifiers and flavorings. Additionally, while they tend to be higher in sugar, salt and fat, they are lower in nutrients such as vitamins and dietary fiber, which have been found to have a variety of negative health effects, according to previous research. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the extensive evidence on the negative health effects of ultra-processed foods.
In these studies, ultra-processed food intake was estimated through questionnaires on the frequency of consumption of certain foods and meals in the past 24 hours and its association with various health factors was investigated. This study revealed the following 32 health factors associated with ultra-processed foods.
・Mortality rate (overall mortality rate, cancer mortality rate, cardiovascular-related mortality rate, heart disease-related mortality rate)
・Cancer (breast cancer, overall cancer, central nervous system tumors, chronic lymphocytosis), leukemia, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer)
, Mental illness and health (sleep-related adverse events, anxiety disorders, general mental illness, depression)
, Respiratory system (asthma, expiratory wheezing)
, cardiovascular system (cardiovascular disease event complex, cardiovascular disease mortality, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced good cholesterol levels)
, Gastrointestinal system (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)
, metabolic system (abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, overweight, combined overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes)
The research team concluded that there is a direct link between exposure to ultra-processed foods and health parameters such as mortality, cancer, mental health, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and metabolic systems , showing significant correlations.
For example, people who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods have about a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48-53% increased risk of anxiety disorders and general mental illness, and a 12% increased risk of type 2 mental illness, the team reports. There is evidence of an increase in diabetes rates.
But there are some issues with the comprehensive review, including differences in the strength of the evidence and the possibility that factors or variables other than ultra-processed food intake may have affected the results, and that the study only examined ultra-processed food intake and negative health effects. Correlation does not prove causation.
However, the findings are consistent with a large number of independent studies examining ultra-processed foods and their negative health effects. Greater exposure to ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, particularly cardiometabolic disease and general mental illness, as well as mortality. Some argue that this provides the basis for the development of population-based public health. Health measures aimed at reducing intake of ultra-processed foods.
references
Lane, M., Gamage, E., Du, S., Ashtree, DN, McGuinness, AJ, Gauci, S., Baker, P., Lawrence, M., Rebholz, CM, Srour, B., Touvier, M ., Jacka, FN, O'Neil, A., Segasby, T., & Marx, W. (2024). Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. The BMJ, e077310. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310
