Study finds ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of premature death. What to avoid – National

Ultra-processed foods, such as ready-to-eat meat, soft drinks, ice cream and sugary cereals, are linked to an increased risk of premature death, according to a new study.

The American investigation, published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)found that over a 34-year span, people who ate a greater amount of highly processed foods (averaging seven servings per day) faced a higher risk of mortality compared to those who ate fewer servings (averaging of three servings per day).

“The association is quite linear. The higher the consumption of ultra-processed foods, the higher the mortality,” said Mingyang Song, lead author and associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

“Among different subgroups of ultra-processed foods, there were different findings,” he told Global News. “For example, ready-to-eat meat, poultry and seafood products showed a strong association with (mortality). And we also saw some association between sugary drinks and artificially sweetened drinks with higher mortality.”

Not all ultra-processed food products should be universally restricted, Song said, but the findings support the need to limit consumption of certain types of ultra-processed foods, such as processed meats, for long-term health.

Ultra-processed foods go through multiple processes such as extrusion, molding, grinding, etc., contain many added ingredients, and are highly manipulated, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Processed foods, on the other hand, refer to foods to which ingredients such as oil, sugar or salt are added and are packaged.

Ultra-processed foods encompass a wide range of products, including packaged baked goods, candy, chips, sugary drinks, bacon, and sausages. These items are loaded with additives, sugars and unhealthy fats, and also lack essential nutrients like vitamins and fiber, explained Amanda Nash, a registered dietitian with the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The prevalence of these foods is also increasing in high-income countries like Canada, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A 2015 study by the organization found that Canadians get almost 50 per cent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.

“We know that Canadians are the second largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and beverages in the world, second only to Americans,” Nash said. “The purpose of ultra-processing is to create a product that is convenient. That means it’s long-lasting, ready to eat, ready to heat, or ready to drink. “It is attractive and cost-effective, generally using cheaper ingredients.”

Consumption of highly processed foods has already been linked to various health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. However, Song argued that while other studies have examined the connection between ultra-processed foods and mortality, they often suffer from limitations such as small sample sizes and shorter durations.

To address this knowledge gap, Song and her team tracked the long-term health of more than 74,000 registered nurses from 11 US states in the Nurses’ Health Study (1984 to 2018) and more than 39,500 nursing professionals. men from all 50 US states in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986 to 2018) with no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes at study enrollment.

Every two years the participants provided information about their health and lifestyle habits, and every four years they completed a detailed dietary questionnaire.

Over an average follow-up period of 34 years, researchers identified 48,193 deaths, including 13,557 deaths from cancer, 11,416 deaths from cardiovascular diseases, 3,926 deaths from respiratory diseases, and 6,343 deaths from neurodegenerative diseases.

Compared with participants in the lowest quarter of ultra-processed food consumption (an average of three servings per day), those in the highest quarter (an average of seven servings per day) had a four percent increased risk of total death and a nine percent increased risk. of other deaths, including an eight percent increased risk of neurodegenerative deaths.

The study found that ready-to-eat meats showed the strongest association with mortality.

Other subgroups also showed an association with higher mortality, including sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, dairy-based desserts (such as ice cream and yogurt), and ultra-processed breakfast foods, excluding whole grains.

By separating sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages further, the researchers found “a generally stronger association for sugar-sweetened beverages than for artificially sweetened beverages.”

Song said his team was not surprised to find that processed meats (such as ham, sausages, bacon and deli meats) and soft drinks were linked to higher death rates, as there has been “very compelling data that indicate that they cause adverse effects.

For example, in 2015, the World Health Organization classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans based on sufficient evidence in humans that consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.”

While hot dogs and jerky sticks were not surprising finds for the B.M.J. According to the authors, Song said researchers were baffled by the unexpected risks associated with other foods.

“What surprised us were the other categories, such as ice cream and dairy desserts, because the data has been very varied. And we were surprised to see the positive association,” she said.

She added that while certain foods, such as breakfast cereals, may fall into the highly processed category, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad for your health, as many are high in fiber and added vitamins and minerals.

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This is not the first study to link health risks with the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

On February 28, a review of hundreds of epidemiological studies published in the B.M.J. found that greater exposure to ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of 32 harmful health outcomes, including cancer, major heart and lung conditions, mental health disorders, and premature death.

The report noted that ultra-processed foods, which include baked goods and packaged snacks, soft drinks, sugary cereals and ready-to-eat or heat products, undergo multiple industrial processes.

Another study published in October 2023 in the B.M.J. He argued that ultra-processed foods can be so addictive that they can cause withdrawal symptoms similar to those of people trying to quit smoking.

Canada’s dietary guide advises limiting highly processed foods to avoid excessive consumption of sodium, sugars or saturated fats, as they can increase the risk of chronic diseases.

Excess sodium consumption, for example, can raise blood pressure, which could lead to heart disease. Consuming significant amounts of foods and beverages with added sugars has been associated with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, says Health Canada.

Processed foods may also be linked to poor health because they disrupt a healthy gut microbiome, Song explained.

“The bacteria in our intestinal system are altered by excessive consumption of these foods and this change can cause immune alterations,” he said. “Therefore, our immune system would not be able to stop this early development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.”

While the study highlights a correlation between certain ultra-processed foods and higher mortality rates, Song emphasizes the need for more studies. This is because his study was observational, meaning no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.

Despite the limitation of the study, the researchers concluded that the findings support limiting the consumption of certain types of ultra-processed foods for long-term health.

“But we don’t want people to be scared by the concept of ultra-processed foods,” Song said. “I believe that overall diet quality remains the key determinant of health outcomes. “So in other words, if a person eats a generally healthy diet and consumes a certain amount of ultra-processed foods (that) wouldn’t be so terrible.”

Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, Nash explained.

This involves incorporating plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein sources into meals, while minimizing highly processed foods and avoiding sugary drinks. He added that cooking at home and enjoying meals with loved ones are key aspects of a balanced diet.

Nash recommends sticking to minimally processed foods, such as canned beans or frozen vegetables.

“Some of these foods have a longer shelf life and we can stock up on them when they’re on sale to make easier meals at home,” she said.

– with files from Uday Rana of Global News