These ultra-processed foods are associated with increased risk of death

Song Min Yangmedical doctor, said one of the study authors, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. health line It is difficult to establish a direct link between ultra-processed foods and cancer.he pointed to Learning from last year It examines connections.

“UPF[ultra-processed food] Although it is only one component of the overall diet, its association with many cancers has not yet been strong, probably due to a combination of methodological and biological issues. Methodologically, diet (particularly UPF) is difficult to assess and may be more difficult to measure with high precision, especially for cancers where long-term exposure is likely to be significant.” Mr. Song said. “Also, diet is intricately related to other lifestyle factors, making it difficult to determine independent causal effects of diet. Biologically, we have yet to capture the critical time window during dieting. There may not be [that] This may be particularly important for cancer, since cancer can take years or even decades to develop. ”

Dr. David Cutlersaid a board-certified family medicine physician at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. health line There are many factors involved in consuming ultra-processed foods that can produce contradictory results in cancer research.

“One possible explanation is that some ultra-processed foods may actually have a protective effect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. A common candidate for this hypothesis is that they are high in calories and nutritious. dark chocolate, which has a lower value but is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality.Thus, while most ultra-processed foods may be linked to increased mortality, some foods may be linked to lower mortality. “This is potentially confounding the study results,” Cutler said. “Another explanation lies in the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Respiratory diseases are also increased in people with diets high in ultra-processed foods. Therefore, these other causes of death may be more prominent than the more common cancer and cardiovascular deaths.

The association between eating more ultra-processed foods and increased risk of death weakened when researchers considered the overall quality of participants' diets, taking into account the nutritional value of the food rather than just the level of processing. The importance of doing so became clear.

Additionally, researchers found that certain subtypes of ultra-processed foods were most strongly associated with increased risk of death. These foods included ready-to-eat foods based on meat, poultry, and seafood.

The study authors said a balanced diet is optimal for overall health and wellness and did not recommend completely eliminating ultra-processed foods from any diet. Cutler said one of the biggest risks is Colorectal cancer teeth processed meatbut also suggested that consuming large amounts of highly processed foods is generally not recommended.

“Although there appears to be a strong link between colorectal cancer and processed meat, no other close links have been identified between specific causes of cancer and specific diets.” Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that one diet has a significant advantage over another: obesity (lower calories), heart disease (lower cholesterol and blood pressure), diabetes (lower sugar), The focus should be on adhering to a diet that prevents colorectal cancer (avoiding processed meat),” Cutler said. “Although the impact of a diet high in ultra-processed foods on mortality is modest, we need to emphasize the importance of avoiding sugary and low-nutrition foods, especially in children. Many health hazards can occur. [be] This can be avoided by following a sensible, low-calorie diet, but you don't necessarily have to completely avoid ultra-processed foods. ”

A new study that looked at data from two different studies spanning more than 30 years found that eating ultra-processed foods was associated with a slightly higher risk of death.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods was divided into quartiles. The highest quarter, designated as a median intake of 7 servings per day, had a 4% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 9% higher risk of death from causes other than cancer or cardiovascular disease, including 8 % high risk. Number of neurodegenerative deaths.

While the study authors don't recommend eliminating ultra-processed foods completely, experts say processed meats can cause colon cancer and many sugary drinks and snacks can contribute to diabetes. states that it is generally not advisable to consume large amounts.