Now scientists are really taking the biscuit: Even diets as low as 10% ultra-processed may increase risk of early death, study warns
Eating ultra-processed foods can “significantly” increase diabetics’ risk of death — even if they eat a healthy diet most of the time.
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) typically contain more artificial ingredients than natural ones and are made from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats.
Processing refers to adding or modifying raw ingredients to make food safe to eat, extend shelf life, or improve flavor.
A study of more than 1,000 people in Italy suffering from type 2 diabetes found that those who ate about one-tenth of their UPF diet were 60 percent more likely to die early than those who ate the least.
Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods was also associated with a 2.64 times higher risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and heart failure.
Research now suggests they may “substantially” increase the risk of death for people with type 2 diabetes, regardless of the nutritional quality of their diet. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers at the Neuromed Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Pozzilli write that cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses the greatest risk
Nutritionists have listed which options can be ‘part of a healthy diet’. Baked beans, fish fingers and whole-wheat bread all make the cut, according to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). Tomato-based pasta sauces, whole-grain cereals and fruit yogurts are also “healthier processed foods,” according to the charity.
Study author Dr Licia Iacoviello, from IRCCS Neuromed Hospital, said: ‘One of the most interesting results of this study is the increased risk associated with ultra-processed foods, even when participants reported adherence to the Mediterranean diet. ‘
The findings have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Minimally processed foods, such as apples, are usually exactly as they occur in nature.
In contrast, ultra-processed foods like apple jelly babies have gone through multiple levels of processing and are usually full of extra fats, colorings and preservatives.
Researchers analyzed data from 1,066 participants, an average age of 65, who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
They monitored their health and food intake over the course of 12 years through surveys.
Researchers then calculated what portion of their diet consisted of ultra-processed foods.
The results showed that, on average, 7.4 percent of the participants’ diets were junk food.
Those who reported consuming the highest levels — at least 10 percent — had a 60 percent increased risk of dying from any cause, compared to people who consumed the lowest levels of these products (about four percent).
Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods was also associated with a 2.64 times higher risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and heart failure.
Over an average of 12 years, of the 306 recorded deaths, CVD was responsible for 129.
Researchers said there was a link between ultra-processed foods in the diet and the risk of dying from CVD, the more junk food eaten, the higher the risk.
The team warned that the risk from ultra-processed foods remained even if volunteers otherwise followed a Mediterranean diet.
Considered the healthiest by dietitians, it is packed with whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Professor Giovanni de Gaetano, President of Pozzilli’s IRCCS Neuromed, said: ‘These results may have important implications for future dietary guidelines to manage type 2 diabetes.
‘In addition to following a diet based on known nutritional requirements, dietary advice should also suggest limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods as much as possible.
“In this context, and not just for people with diabetes, nutrition labels on the front of the package should also include information about the degree of food processing.”
In April, nutritionists at the British Nutrition Foundation divided foods into three groups based on the amount of processing they’ve undergone. Minimally processed foods, such as apples, are usually exactly as they occur in nature. Processed foods, such as applesauce, have gone through at least one level of processing that has changed their original form. In contrast, ultra-processed foods, such as apple jelly babies, have gone through multiple levels of processing and are usually loaded with extra fats, colorings, and preservatives.
Dozens of studies have warned of the risk of eating too many ultra-processed foods, including cookies, cakes, crisps, ready meals, sausages, French fries and soft drinks.
Research has suggested that those who eat the most ultra-processed foods are up to a third more likely to die from cancer, are 80 percent more likely to become depressed, and are nearly 30 percent more likely to develop dementia.
In November, a first-of-its-kind study of death rates in Brazil in 2019 also found that ultra-processed foods contributed to about 57,000 premature deaths in the country that year, more than 10 percent of all premature deaths.
It comes as the government’s nutrition advisers argued earlier this month that ultra-processed foods may not be bad for us after all.
Research that has terrified the food world offers no solid evidence that the food category is to blame, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition ruled.
They did admit that the link is ‘worrying’.
Instead, the calorie, sugar or salt content in products such as chips, cookies and cake may explain the increased health risks, they advised.
In the UK, officials are currently issuing dietary advice on how much salt, sugar and saturated fat a person should be eating.
They also provide recommendations on calorie, fiber, and fruit and vegetable intake.
However, there is a growing call among some scientists for official guidelines on how much processed food people should be eating.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 servings of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Basic meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat muesli biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole-wheat bread, and a large baked potato with skin
• Include some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) and choose lower fat and sugar options
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which is fatty)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume in small quantities
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water per day
• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide