WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New research presented at Nutrition 2024 - the yearly gathering of the American Society for Nutrition - brought to light the potential risks associated with consuming ultra-processed foods.
The study, which followed more than 500,000 US adults over a span of nearly 30 years, indicated that a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked to a 10% increase in the likelihood of premature death from various causes, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers used the NOVA classification of foods for this study. They analyzed data from over 540,000 individuals, collected in the mid-1990s when the participants were between 50 and 71 years old. The study revealed that individuals with a higher intake of ultra-processed foods tended to have a higher body mass index and a lower Healthy Eating Index score.
Lead researcher Erikka Loftfield from the National Cancer Institute emphasized that their findings align with existing research showing the detrimental effects of ultra-processed foods on health and lifespan.
Loftfield highlighted that highly processed meat and soft drinks were identified as particular subgroups of ultra-processed foods strongly associated with increased mortality risk, underscoring the importance of minimizing consumption of these items for disease prevention and overall well-being.
Notably, ultra-processed foods, which often contain uncommon additives and ingredients not commonly found in home-cooked meals, make up a significant portion of energy intake in the United States. Examples of these foods include snacks like crisps, sweets, chocolate, and frozen pizza.
Previous studies have also linked the consumption of ultra-processed foods to health issues such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Given that these foods account for almost 60% of energy intake in the US, this research underscores the importance of reducing the consumption of highly processed meat and soft drinks for the promotion of disease prevention and overall health.
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