Ultraprocessed foods are easy, cheap and could be killing you
"Ultraprocessed"
describes many foods, including pre-prepared dishes found in grocery store
freezers, packaged baked goods, dehydrated soups, ice cream, sugary cereals and
fizzy beverages.
Two separate studies
published Wednesday in The BMJ link eating the popular factory-made fare with
an increased
risk of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk
of early death. While a direct cause-effect relationship has yet to be
established, the researchers of both studies note that previous studies have
associated highly processed food consumption with higher risks of obesity, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol and even some cancers.
"Ultraprocessed
foods already make up more than half of the total dietary energy consumed in
high-income countries such as USA, Canada and the UK," Maira
Bes-Rastrollo, senior author of one study and a professor of preventive
medicine and public health at the Universidad de Navarra, told CNN.
"In the case of Spain, consumption of ultraprocessed food almost tripled
between 1990 and 2010."
Researchers gathered
data from close to 20,000 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de
Navarra (SUN) project, which monitors university graduate volunteers, ages 20
to 91 years old, every two years through questionnaires. Using a 136-item food
frequency questionnaire, the researchers evaluated each participant's diet at
the start of the study in 1999 and then reassessed it throughout the research
period ending in 2014. The routine surveys measured how frequently people ate
food in the four food categories defined by the NOVA classification system, which looks at how foods are
made and not just nutrients.
The "unprocessed
or minimally processed" food category included fruits, vegetables,
legumes, milk, eggs, meats, poultry, fish and seafood, yogurt, grains (white
rice and pasta) and natural juice. Salt, sugar, honey, olive oil, butter and
lard were listed in the category of "processed ingredients," while
"processed foods" included cheeses, breads, beer, wine, cured
traditional ham and bacon. The final category encompassed ultraprocessed foods
such as flan, chorizo, sausages, mayonnaise, potato chips, pizza, cookies,
chocolates and candies, artificially sweetened beverages and whisky, gin and
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