High intake of ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, bowel cancer: Study

Experts have for long stressed on how processed foods can be bad for health A new study has now found that a high intake of ultraprocessed foods is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease bowel colorectal cancer and deathThe study was published in the journal The BMJThe findings add further evidence in support of policies that limit ultraprocessed foods and instead promote eating unprocessed or minimallyprocessed foods to improve public health worldwideThey also reinforce the opportunity to reformulate dietary guidelines worldwide by paying more attention to the degree of processing of foods along with nutrientbased recommendationsUltraprocessed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks fizzy drinks sugary cereals and readytoeat or heat products often containing high levels of added sugar fat andor salt but lacking in vitamins and fibrePrevious studies have linked ultraprocessed foods to higher risks of obesity high blood pressure cholesterol and some cancers but few studies have assessed the association between ultraprocessed food intake and colorectal cancer risk and findings are mixed due to limitations in study design and sample sizesIn the first study researchers examined the association between the consumption of ultraprocessed foods and the risk of colorectal cancer in US adultsTheir findings are based on 46341 men and 159907 women from three large studies of US health professionals whose dietary intake was assessed every four years using detailed food frequency questionnairesFoods were grouped by degree of processing and rates of colorectal cancer were measured over a period of 2428 years taking into account of medical and lifestyle factorsResults show that compared with those in the lowest fifth of ultraprocessed food consumption men in the highest fifth of consumption had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing colorectal cancer which remained significant after further adjustment for body mass index or dietary qualityNo association was observed between overall ultraprocessed food consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer among women However higher consumption of meatpoultryseafoodbased readytoeat products and sugarsweetened beverages among men and readytoeatheat mixed dishes among women was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancerIn the second study researchers analysed two food classification systems in relation to mortality the Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System FSAmNPS used to derive the colourcoded NutriScore frontofpack label and the NOVA scale which evaluates the degree of food processingTheir findings are based on 22895 Italian adults average age 55 years 48 per cent men from the Molisani Study investigating genetic and environmental risk factors for heart diseases and cancerBoth the quantity and quality of food and beverages consumed were assessed and deaths were measured over a 14year period 2005 to 2019 taking into account of underlying medical conditionsResults showed that those in the highest quarter of the FSAmNPS index least healthy diet compared with the lowest quarter healthiest diet had a 19 per cent higher risk of death from any cause and a 32 per cent higher risk of death from cardiovascular diseaseRisks were similar when the two extreme categories of ultraprocessed food intake on the NOVA scale were compared 19 per cent and 27 per cent higher for allcause and cardiovascular mortality respectivelyA significant proportion of the excess mortality risk associated with a poor diet was explained by a higher degree of food processing In contrast ultraprocessed food intake remained associated with mortality even after the poor nutritional quality of the diet was accounted forBoth studies are observational so cant establish cause and limitations include the possibility that some of the risks may be due to other unmeasured confounding factorsNevertheless both studies used reliable markers of dietary quality and took account of wellknown risk factors and the findings back up other research linking highly processed food with poor healthAs such both research teams say their findings support the public health importance of limiting certain types of ultraprocessed foods for better health outcomes in the population Results from the Italian study also reinforce the opportunity to reformulate dietary guidelines worldwide by paying more attention to the degree of processing of foods along with nutrientbased recommendationsIn a linked editorial Brazilian researchers argue that nobody sensible wants foods that cause illnessThe overall positive solution they say includes making supplies of fresh and minimally processed foods available attractive and affordable And sustaining national initiatives to promote and support freshly prepared meals made with fresh and minimally processed foods using small amounts of processed culinary ingredients and processed foodsEnacted this will promote public health It will also nourish families society economies and the environment they concludeAlso Read Pregnant women at greater risk of cancer via dishware hair colouring plastics StudyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever