According to a team from the Harvard School of Public Health, ultra-processed foods in general are linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. However, there are two that might be more dangerous than others.
The heart is one of the most primordial organs in the human body. Several factors influence how well it functions over time, and one of them is what we include in our diet.
Today, researchers from the School of Public Health Harvard University warned in a new study on a few ultra-processed foods this could harm the health by increasing the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases . The results were published September 5 in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Americas .
Postdoctoral researcher Kenny Mendoza and his colleagues examined data from 200,000 people collected over three decades. This data was combined with data from 19 other studies to perform a comprehensive analysis of nearly 1.25 million adults.
According to the study results, the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in general is directly linked to increased cases of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. However, there are two that might be more dangerous than others.
UPFs are products that have undergone various industrial processes. Its main ingredients are usually starch, oils, sugar and salt, in addition to containing additives such as preservatives, stabilizers, colors, emulsifiers, flavors and flavor enhancers.
In the United States alone, these types of products account for 57% of adults’ energy intake. detail the authors.
What are the two ultra-processed foods most harmful to the heart?
The Harvard research team divided processed foods into 10 groups, two of which were associated with greater danger to heart health. As Mendoza explained to The New York Times By excluding these two categories from all data, most of the UPF risk disappeared.
One of these categories corresponds to the processed meats which according to World Health Organization (WHO) these are those that have been modified “by salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to improve flavor and preserve foods.” The group includes the sausages, bacon, hamburgers and other sausages commonly found in supermarkets and stores.
This type of food is also characterized by its high sodium content. Although sodium is an essential nutrient for the body, consuming too much of it could trigger an increase in blood pressure. The WHO describes that an increase in blood pressure could trigger cardiovascular diseases.
The other food group with more risk for the heart was sweet drinks which are liquids containing added sugars or sweeteners. This is the soft drinks, sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavored juices and tea drinks.
Although many people choose sugary drinks to accompany daily meals or to hydrate, their excessive consumption has a negative impact on health.
In addition to being full of empty calories that don’t really bring satisfaction, the added sugar in this type of product is capable of contributing to the increase in obesity and diabetes, which are also risk factors for the appearance of cardiac pathologies.
What do we know about other ultra-processed foods?
The study also focused on analyzing the impact of other groups of ultra-processed foods: bread, cereals, spreads, packaged snacks and desserts, ready-to-eat or hot meals, salty snacks, yogurts and dairy-based desserts and spirits. .
Although UPFs generally have a negative impact on health, researchers showed that three categories were linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This is the cold bread and cereals, yogurts and dairy desserts and savory snacks .
Before Mendoza’s study, other research had suggested that processed meats and artificially sweetened drinks were the UPFs that could cause greater health damage, while other studies suggested that cereals, yogurt and bread presented a very minor risk, according to The New York Times.
As Mendoza explained to US media, it’s likely that this difference is due to “how they are processed and what they offer nutritionally.” Processed meats are characterized by their high sodium and saturated fat content, and sugary drinks contain a high amount of sugar. Cereals and bread, on the other hand, generally provide nutrients such as fiber and minerals, even if they are ultra-processed.
The recommendation of Harvard researchers
Given their findings, The team led by Mendoza recommended against the consumption of ultra-processed foods which have been found to be more harmful that is, sugary drinks and processed meats, “given their consistent harmful association with cardiovascular disease.”
Concerning other less risky categories, such as bread, cereals, yogurts and salty snacks, they assure that reducing the content of sodium, sweet fats and other additives is a necessary step to improve the nutritional quality of these products.
The authors also assure that their study has several limitations, such as the absence of information on how the foods were prepared and that their sample is composed mainly of white health professionals, of a “slightly higher socio-economic level “. For the same reason, the researchers warn, it will be necessary to carry out other similar studies including other populations in the future.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
