- A diet rich in ultra-processed foods is associated with the development of multiple chronic conditions, according to a new study.
- Particularly likely to lead to concurrent cancers, diabetes, and heart problems are animal-based ultra-processed foods and artificially and sugar-sweetened drinks.
- Although this study found no such link between ultra-processed foods such as breads, cereals, or plant-based alternatives, experts caution against their overconsumption.
- An issue with identifying ultra-processed foods is that they are typically categorized according to their degree of processing, with less emphasis on nutritional value.
The consumption of ultraprocessed foods has been linked to various individual chronic diseases such as
The study finds that there is a 9% increase in the likelihood of developing cardiovascular and cardiometabolic comorbidities for those whose diet consists of a significant amount of ultra-processed foods.
The greatest increase in risk, according to the study, was for animal-based products and artificially and sugar-sweetened beverages.
The researchers found no similar association between ultra-processed breads and cereals, plant-based alternatives, and comorbidities.
The study is an analysis of data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). This is an ongoing prospective cohort study of associations between cancer and other diseases, and lifestyle, diet, genetic, and environmental risk factors.
For the new study, the researchers looked at data from 266,666 participants. The foods they ate were ranked based on their level of processing according to the NOVA index. There was a median 11.2 years of follow-up to track the development of chronic diseases.
The study is published in
There is no universal agreement on exactly what…
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