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By Noralyn Onto Dudt
SEVERAL research studied have found an association between
ultra-processed foods and all causes of mortality: breast cancer, colorectal
cancer, adverse sleep outcomes, adverse anxiety outcomes, asthma, hypertension, Crohn's disease, ulcerative
colitis, obesity, metabolic syndrome,
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The latest study published just a few weeks
ago in the journal Lancet Regional Health-Europe, had just shed more light on
the risks. The researchers found that eating plant-derived foods that are
ultra-processed—such as meat substitutes,
fruit juices and pastries—increases the risk of heart attacks and
strokes. On the other hand, when plant foods such as fruits and vegetables,
whole grains and nuts are only minimally processed, meaning they are cleaned, cut and packaged but served largely as they
are found in nature, they have protective effect against cardiovascular
disease.
Food processing takes many forms: from grinding grain into raw
flour, home cooking, and complex
industrial methods used in the making of convenience foods. What is unusual
about the study is that it zeroed in on the health effects of ultra-processed
foods that begin as plants, comparing them with minimally processed plant
foods. Given that plant-based foods are generally healthy in their natural
state, the research suggests that
there's something uniquely damaging about ultra-processing that changes a food
in a way that can harm a person's health long term.
Primary food processing is necessary to make most foods edible
while secondary food processing turns ingredients into familiar foods such as
bread. Tertiary food processing results in ultra processed foods and has been
widely criticized for promoting overnutrition and obesity. They are industrial
creations made with little—if any—whole foods that often contain large amounts
of added sugar and salt, and infused with artificial colors and additives.
Foods that are ultra-processed are altered from their natural forms. This is
done to make foods appear a certain way or preserve foods to last longer.
Compare a carton of eggs that you purchase with a frozen egg patty. Even though
both of these contain eggs, these are very different foods, having gone through very different journeys to get
to the store shelves.
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"The artificial and heightened flavors of these foods can
lead people to become addicted to these flavors, making it difficult for them
to appreciate the natural flavors of real foods such as fruits and vegetables, " said the lead author
of the new study.
Ultra-processing strips away health-promoting nutrients, replaced
them with salt, sugar and fat, and destroys the food's internal structure, or
"food matrix," which causes our bodies to absorb the food more
rapidly. This results in less satiety and, in some cases, higher blood-sugar
levels.
During industrial processing, foods are often subjected to
extreme pressures and temperatures, which can transform additives into harmful
new compounds. Two well-known compounds that are generated during food
processing, acrolein and acrylamide, have been found to promote cardiovascular
disease. Plant foods that are not
ultra-processed contain fiber, polyphenols, phytosterols and a wide array of
compounds that reduce inflammation and promote overall health. In light of
that, we should be eating a diet of mostly minimally processed foods and
avoiding things that come in packages with long lists of colorants, sweeteners,
flavor enhancers, emulsifiers and other additives that you would not use in
your own kitchen. When buying ready-made food or preparations, the best tip is
to read the ingredient list. If it contains only ingredients that you recognize
and commonly have in your kitchen, it is
most likely made from real food and is not an ultra-processed food.
The study analyzed data on
120,000 adults who were followed for roughly a decade as part of the UK
Biobank, a study that has been tracking the health and lifestyle habits of
people throughout the United Kingdom. As part of the long-running study, the
participants answered questions about their diet, habits and environments on
different occasions and provided biological samples, and health/ medical
records. The findings included:
*the more
ultra-processed foods people consumed, the higher their likelihood of dying of
heart disease.
*every 10% increase in
calories from plant-derived ultra-processed foods was associated with a 5%
higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and a 6% higher risk of
coronary heart disease in particular.
*for every 10%
increase to the consumption of whole plant-based foods—those that were not
ultra-processed—the participants had an 8% reduction in their likelihood of
developing coronary heart disease and a 20% reduction in their risk of dying of
it. They also had a 13% lower risk of dying of any cardiovascular disease.
Many of the foods studied were not foods that people would
typically consider a plant food. But the main ingredients in many junk foods
come from plants, such as cane and beet sugars, wheat flour, corn, potatoes,
fruit juices and vegetable oils. The plant foods that were ultra-processed included:
* Wheat and
corn: pastries, buns, biscuits, cakes, packaged breads,
cereals, chips and salty snacks.
* Potatoes: French fries, potato chips.
* Beet, cane and
other sugars: candy, soft drinks.
* Fruits and
vegetables: sauces, dressings, juices,
beverages, frozen pizza.
* Soy, wheat, beans,
peas: meat substitutes, including
imitation burgers and sausages.
The beverages you drink are just as important to pay attention to
as the foods you eat. Tap water is not processed whereas energy drinks and
sodas are processed. Several studies by Harvard T.H Chan School of Public
Health have shown that drinking sugary
drinks twice a week may increase risk of cardiovascular disease despite level
of physical activity. For those who consumed these beverages on a daily basis,
the risk was even higher. The adverse effects of sugary drinks like sodas,
fruit juices, and energy drinks are well-known; less clear is if exercise can
offset them. To investigate this question in terms of risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers used data from the Nurses'
Health Study to examine the health outcomes of more than 100,000 Americans over
the course of 30 years. They zeroed in on participants' self-reported intake of
sugar-sweetened beverages and physical activity levels and whether they were
diagnosed with CVD, defined as fatal or nonfatal coronary artery disease or
stroke. The study found that adding one sugary drink per day was associated
with a roughly 18% increased risk of CVD regardless of how much a person
exercised.
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods—vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, meats,
seafood, herbs, spices, garlic, eggs and milk. Make these real, whole foods the
basis of your diet. When ingredients
such as oil, sugar or salt are added to foods and are packaged for purchase,
the result is processed foods. Examples are simple bread, cheese, tofu, canned
tuna, canned beans. These foods have been altered but not in a way that's
detrimental to health. Here's a category where almost 50% of our calories come
from—and where we should cut back: soft drinks, chips, candies, ice cream,
sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, fries
and more. These foods go through multiple processes (extrusion, molding,
milling etc.) and contain many added ingredients and are highly manipulated.
Tip the balance and cook
at home more often without using ultra-processed ingredients. Dine with friends
and family. Real food, real talk, good company make a winning combination for dinner. Studies have shown that people who dine together have better eating
habits, such as enjoying more vegetables, fewer soft drinks, and less
deep-fried food.
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