Tag Archives: UltraProcessed

Health

Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian cancer risk, U.K. study warns

Leave a comment

Comment

LONDON — Ultra-processed foods such as breakfast cereals, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals and fizzy drinks may increase your risk of developing cancer — particularly ovarian or brain cancer, researchers say.

Many foods go through a moderate amount of processing — such as cheese, salted peanut butter, pasta sauce — but ultra-processed foods have more additives, artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives. Typically they are subjected to processing methods to transform their taste, texture and appearance and can include hot dogs, doughnuts, boxed macaroni & cheese, muffins and flavored yogurts.

Researchers at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health assessed the diets of almost 200,000 middle-aged adults for a 10-year-period in the United Kingdom and found a “higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a greater risk of overall cancer and specifically ovarian and brain cancer.”

It was also associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, they found.

What are ultra-processed foods? What should I eat instead?

The peer-reviewed study, published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal Tuesday, was a collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), University of Sao Paulo and NOVA University Lisbon.

Of the 197,426 individuals, some 15,921 people developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related deaths occurred.

“For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, there was an increased incidence of 2 percent for cancer overall, and a 19 percent increase for ovarian cancer specifically,” Imperial College London said in a statement. These links remained after adjusting for socio-economic factors such as smoking, physical activity and body mass index (BMI).

It’s unclear why there was a particularly high increased incidence in ovarian cancers — however, separate research has found an association between the disease and acrylamide, an industrial chemical formed during high-temperature cooking procedures.

“Some potentially cancer-causing agents such as some controversial food additives and chemical agents generated during processing may interfere with hormone effects and thereby affect hormone-related cancers such as ovarian cancer,” Eszter Vamos, lead senior author for the study, told The Washington Post by email Wednesday.

More studies are needed to determine the impact on women and children, she said, as the latter tend to be the “main consumers of ultra-processed foods.”

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women in the United States — accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The cancer mainly develops in older women and is more common in White than Black women, it said.

Sign up for the Well+Being newsletter, your source of expert advice and simple tips to help you live well every day

Almost 60 percent of the calories that adults in the United States eat are from ultra-processed foods, which often have a poor nutritional value. They account for 25 to 50 percent of the calories consumed in many other countries, too, including England, Canada, France, Lebanon and Japan.

The observational study “cannot prove cause and effect” definitively, Vamos noted, showing only an association between the foods and increased cancer risks. However, the study argues, the findings nonetheless highlight the importance of considering food processing in diets.

“Ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap price and attractive packaging to promote consumption,” study author Kiara Chang said in a statement. “This shows our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population.”

Chang called for better labeling and packaging of food to make clear to consumers the risks of their choices, as well as subsidies for freshly prepared foods to ensure they remain accessible, “nutritious and affordable options.”

Other studies have shown a link between ultra-processed foods and higher rates of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. A recent study of more than 22,000 people found that people who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods had a 19 percent higher likelihood of early death and a 32 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with people who ate few ultra-processed foods.

“There has been a global rise in ultra-processed foods, and these products increasingly replace traditional foods in our diet,” said Vamos. “Generally, high income countries have the highest levels of consumption, and the U.S. and the U.K. are leading consumers.”

Brazil has banned the marketing of ultra-processed foods in schools, while France and Canada have pushed to limit such foods in their national dietary guidelines.

The simple diet swap to help you lose weight and lower health risks

Panagiota Mitrou, director of research and innovation at World Cancer Research Fund, which helped fund the study, said by email Wednesday that the findings were “significant” and should encourage people to limit their fast food consumption and “other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars.”

“For maximum benefit, we also recommend that you make whole grains, vegetables, fruit and pulses a major part of your usual diet,” she added.

Anahad O’Connor contributed to this report.

Read original article here

Health

Ultra-Processed Food May Exacerbate Cognitive Decline, New Studies Show : ScienceAlert

Leave a comment

Scientists have known for years that unhealthy diets – particularly those that are high in fat and sugar – may cause detrimental changes to the brain and lead to cognitive impairment.

Many factors that contribute to cognitive decline are out of a person’s control, such as genetics and socioeconomic factors. But ongoing research increasingly indicates that a poor diet is a risk factor for memory impairments during normal aging and increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

But when evaluating how some diets may erode brain health as we age, research on the effects of consuming minimally processed versus ultra-processed foods has been scant – that is, until now.

Two recent large-scale studies suggest that eating ultra-processed foods may exacerbate age-related cognitive decline and increase the risk of developing dementia. In contrast, another recent study reported that ultra-processed food consumption was not associated with worse cognition in people over 60.

Although more research is needed, as a neuroscientist who researches how diet can influence cognition later in life, I find that these early studies add a new layer for considering how fundamental nutrition is to brain health.

Lots of ingredients, minimal nutrition

Ultra-processed foods tend to be lower in nutrients and fiber and higher in sugar, fat, and salt compared to unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Some examples of ultra-processed foods include soda, packaged cookies, chips, frozen meals, flavored nuts, flavored yogurt, distilled alcoholic beverages, and fast foods. Even packaged breads, including those high in nutritious whole grains, qualify as ultra-processed in many cases because of the additives and preservatives they contain.

Another way to look at it: You are not likely to find the ingredients that make up most of these foods in your home kitchen.

But don’t confuse ultra-processed with processed foods, which still retain most of their natural characteristics, although they’ve undergone some form of processing – like canned vegetables, dried pasta, or frozen fruit.

Parsing the research

In a December 2022 study, researchers compared the rate of cognitive decline over approximately eight years between groups of people that consumed different amounts of ultra-processed foods.

At the beginning of the study, over 10,000 participants living in Brazil reported their dietary habits from the previous 12 months. Then, for the ensuing years, the researchers evaluated the cognitive performance of the participants with standard tests of memory and executive function.

Those who ate a diet containing more ultra-processed foods at the start of the study showed slightly more cognitive decline compared with those that ate little to no ultra-processed foods. This was a relatively modest difference in the rate of cognitive decline between experimental groups.

It is not yet clear if the small difference in cognitive decline associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods will have a meaningful effect at the level of an individual person.

The second study, with about 72,000 participants in the U.K., measured the association between eating ultra-processed foods and dementia. For the group eating the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods, approximately 1 out of 120 people were diagnosed with dementia over a 10-year period. For the group that consumed little to no ultra-processed foods, this number was 1 out of 170.

Research examining the relationship between health and ultra-processed foods uses the NOVA classification, which is a categorization system based on the type and extent of industrial food processing.

Some nutritionists have criticized the NOVA classification for not having clear definitions of food processing, which could lead to misclassification. They also argue that the potential health risks from consuming ultra-processed foods could be explained by low levels of fiber and nutrients and high levels of fat, sugar, and salt in the diet rather than the amount of processing.

Many ultra-processed foods are high in additives, preservatives, or coloring agents, while also having other features of an unhealthy diet, such as being low in fiber and nutrients. Thus, it is unclear if eating food that has undergone more processing has an additional negative impact on health beyond low diet quality.

For example, you could eat a burger and fries from a fast food chain, which would be high in fat, sugar, and salt as well as being ultra-processed. You could make that same meal at home, which could also be high in fat, sugar, and salt but would not be ultra-processed. More research is needed to determine whether one is worse than the other.

Brain-healthy diets

Even when the processes that lead to dementia are not occurring, the aging brain undergoes biochemical and structural changes that are associated with worsening cognition.

But for adults over the age of 55, a healthier diet could increase the likelihood of maintaining better brain function. In particular, the Mediterranean diet and ketogenic diet are associated with better cognition in advanced age.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of plant-based foods and healthy fats, like olive oil, seeds, and nuts. The ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, with the primary fiber source being from vegetables. Both diets minimize or eliminate the consumption of sugar.

Our research and the work of others show that both diets can reverse some of these changes and improve cognitive function – possibly by reducing harmful inflammation.

Although inflammation is a normal immune response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation can be detrimental to the brain. Studies have shown that excess sugar and fat can contribute to chronic inflammation, and ultra-processed foods might also exacerbate harmful inflammation.

Another way that diet and ultra-processed foods may influence brain health is through the gut-brain axis, which is the communication that occurs between the brain and the gut microbiome, or the community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract.

Not only does the gut microbiome help with digestion, but it also influences the immune system, while producing hormones and neurotransmitters that are critical for brain function.

Studies have shown that the ketogenic and Mediterranean diets change the composition of microorganisms in the gut in ways that benefit the person. Ultra-processed food consumption is also associated with alterations in the type and abundance of gut microorganisms that have more harmful effects.

The uncertainties

Disentangling the specific effects of individual foods on the human body is difficult, in part because maintaining strict control over people’s diets to study them over long periods of time is problematic. Moreover, randomized controlled trials, the most reliable type of study for establishing causality, are expensive to carry out.

So far, most nutritional studies, including these two, have only shown correlations between ultra-processed food consumption and health. But they cannot rule out other lifestyle factors such as exercise, education, socioeconomic status, social connections, stress, and many more variables that may influence cognitive function.

This is where lab-based studies using animals are incredibly useful. Rats show cognitive decline in old age that parallels humans. It’s easy to control rodent diets and activity levels in a laboratory. And rats go from middle to old age within months, which shortens study times.

Lab-based studies in animals will make it possible to determine if ultra-processed foods are playing a key role in the development of cognitive impairments and dementia in people. As the world’s population ages and the number of older adults with dementia increases, this knowledge cannot come soon enough.

Sara N. Burke, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Cognitive Aging, University of Florida

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read original article here

Health

Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer

Leave a comment

Summary: High consumption of ultra-processed foods, including soda, chips, and some white bread products, was associated with an increased risk of developing and dying from certain kinds of cancer, including brain cancer.

Source: Imperial College London

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk of developing and dying from cancer, an Imperial College London-led observational study suggests.

Researchers from Imperial’s School of Public Health have produced the most comprehensive assessment to date of the association between ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing cancers.

Ultra-processed foods are food items which have been heavily processed during their production, such as fizzy drinks, mass-produced packaged breads, many ready meals and most breakfast cereals.

Ultra-processed foods are often relatively cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed, often as healthy options. But these foods are also generally higher in salt, fat, sugar, and contain artificial additives. It is now well documented that they are linked with a range of poor health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The first UK study of its kind used UK Biobank records to collect information on the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adult participants. Researchers monitored participants’ health over a 10-year period, looking at the risk of developing any cancer overall as well as the specific risk of developing 34 types of cancer. They also looked at the risk of people dying from cancer.

The study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing cancer overall, and specifically with ovarian and brain cancers. It was also associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, most notably with ovarian and breast cancers.

For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, there was an increased incidence of 2 percent for cancer overall, and a 19 percent increase for ovarian cancer specifically.

Each 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption was also associated with increased mortality for cancer overall by 6 percent, alongside a 16 percent increase for breast cancer and a 30 percent increase for ovarian cancer.

These links remained after adjusting for a range of socio-economic, behavioral and dietary factors, such as smoking status, physical activity and body mass index (BMI).

The Imperial team carried out the study, which is published in eClinicalMedicine, in collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), University of São Paulo, and NOVA University Lisbon.

Previous research from the team reported the levels of consumption of ultra-processed foods in the UK, which are the highest in Europe for both adults and children. The team also found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, and a greater weight gain in UK children extending from childhood to young adulthood.

Dr. Eszter Vamos, lead senior author for the study, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, said, “This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to negatively impact our health including our risk for cancer. Given the high levels of consumption in UK adults and children, this has important implications for future health outcomes.

“Although our study cannot prove causation, other available evidence shows that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diet could provide important health benefits. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the best public health strategies to reduce the widespread presence and harms of ultra-processed foods in our diet.”

Dr. Kiara Chang, first author for the study, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, said, “The average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods.

“This is exceptionally high and concerning as ultra-processed foods are produced with industrially derived ingredients and often use food additives to adjust color, flavor, consistency, texture, or extend shelf life.

See also

The study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing cancer overall, and specifically with ovarian and brain cancers. Image is in the public domain

“Our bodies may not react the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods. However, ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap price and attractive packaging to promote consumption. This shows our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population from ultra-processed foods.”

The World Health Organization and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization has previously recommended restricting ultra-processed foods as part of a healthy sustainable diet.

There are ongoing efforts to reduce ultra-processed food consumption around the world, with countries such as Brazil, France and Canada updating their national dietary guidelines with recommendations to limit such foods. Brazil has also banned the marketing of ultra-processed foods in schools. There are currently no similar measures to tackle ultra-processed foods in the UK.

Dr. Chang added, “We need clear front of pack warning labels for ultra-processed foods to aid consumer choices, and our sugar tax should be extended to cover ultra-processed fizzy drinks, fruit-based and milk-based drinks, as well as other ultra-processed products.

“Lower income households are particularly vulnerable to these cheap and unhealthy ultra-processed foods. Minimally processed and freshly prepared meals should be subsidized to ensure everyone has access to healthy, nutritious and affordable options.”

The researchers note that their study is observational, so does not show a causal link between ultra-processed foods and cancer due to the observational nature of the research. More work is needed in this area to establish a causal link.

About this diet and brain cancer research news

Author: Press Office
Source: Imperial College London
Contact: Press Office – Imperial College London
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: The findings will appear in eClinicalMedicine

Read original article here

Health

Ultraprocessed foods linked to ovarian and other cancer deaths, study finds

Leave a comment

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.



CNN
 — 

Eating more ultraprocessed foods raises the risk of developing and dying from cancer, especially ovarian cancer, according to a new study of over 197,000 people in the United Kingdom, over half of whom were women.

Overly processed foods include prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals, as well as hot dogs, sausages, french fries, sodas, store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, doughnuts, ice cream and many more.

“Ultra-processed foods are produced with industrially derived ingredients and often use food additives to adjust colour, flavour, consistency, texture, or extend shelf life,” said first author Dr. Kiara Chang, a National Institute for Health and Care Research fellow at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, in a statement.

“Our bodies may not react the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods,” Chang said.

However, people who eat more ultra-processed foods also tend to “drink more fizzy drinks and less tea and coffee, as well as less vegetables and other foods associated with a healthy dietary pattern,” said Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior teaching fellow at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, UK, in an email.

“This could mean that it may not be an effect specifically of the ultra-processed foods themselves, but instead reflect the impact of a lower intake of healthier food,” said Mellor, who was not involved in the study.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal eClinicalMedicine, looked at the association between eating ultraprocessed foods and 34 different types of cancer over a 10-year period.

Researchers examined information on the eating habits of 197,426 people who were part of the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that followed residents from 2006 to 2010.

The amount of ultraprocessed foods consumed by people in the study ranged from a low of 9.1% to a high of 41.4% of their diet, the study found.

Eating patterns were then compared with medical records that listed both diagnoses and deaths from cancer.

Each 10% increase in ultraprocessed food consumption was associated with a 2% increase in developing any cancer, and a 19% increased risk for being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to a statement issued by Imperial College London.

Deaths from cancers also increased, the study found. For each additional 10% increase in ultraprocessed food consumption, the risk of dying from any cancer increased by 6%, while the risk of dying from ovarian cancer rose by 30%, according to the statement.

“These associations persisted after adjustment for a range of socio-demographic, smoking status, physical activity, and key dietary factors,” the authors wrote.

When it comes to death from cancer among women, ovarian cancer is ranked fifth, “accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system,” noted the American Cancer Society.

“The findings add to previous studies showing an association between a greater proportion of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in the diet and a higher risk of obesity, heart attacks, stroke, and type 2 diabetes,” said Simon Steenson, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, a charity partially supported by food producers and manufacturers. Steenson was not involved in the new study.

“However, an important limitation of these previous studies and the new analysis published today is that the findings are observational and so do not provide evidence of a clear causal link between UPFs and cancer, or the risk of other diseases,” Steenson said in an email.

People who ate the most ultraprocessed foods “were younger and less likely to have a family history of cancer,” Chang and her colleagues wrote.

High consumers of ultraprocessed foods were less likely to do physical activity and more likely to be classified as obese. These people were also likely to have lower household incomes and education and live in the most underprivileged communities, the study found.

“This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to negatively impact our health including our risk for cancer,” said Dr. Eszter Vamos, the study’s lead author and a clinical senior lecturer at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health in a statement.

This latest research is not the first to show an association between a high intake of ultraprocessed foods and cancer.

A 2022 study examined the diets of over 200,000 men and women in the United States for up to 28 years and found a link between ultraprocessed foods and colorectal cancer — the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States — in men, but not women.

And there are “literally hundreds of studies (that) link ultraprocessed foods to obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality,” Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University told CNN previously.

While the new UK-based study cannot prove causation, only an association, “other available evidence shows that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diet could provide important health benefits,” Vamos said.

“Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the best public health strategies to reduce the widespread presence and harms of ultra-processed foods in our diet,” she added.

Read original article here

Health

Diet Rich in Ultra-Processed Foods Increases Dementia Risk

Leave a comment

  • New research suggests that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods could lead to a higher risk of developing dementia.
  • Researchers found that those who consumed 28% or more of their calories from ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of dementia.
  • Experts explain key takeaways from this new study.

We all know that certain foods are better for us than others, and that eating healthy is key to feeling our best. However, new research shows just how much our diet can truly affect not only our body but our brain as well. A new study found that eating ultra-processed foods actually increases your risk for dementia.

Dementia is not a specific disease but rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions, which interferes with everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. And, according to the CDC, of those at least 65 years of age, there was an estimated 5 million adults with dementia in 2014. That number is projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060.

A study published in JAMA Neurology and presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, followed 10,775 individuals for 10 years. The participants included both men and women, with an average age of 51. Participants filled out a food frequency questionnaire and reported their calorie intake during the study. At the end of the 10-year period, participants were assessed on changes in cognitive performance over time by utilizing multiple cognitive-related tests.

Researchers determined that those who consumed 28% or more of their calories from ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of dementia. In an average diet of 2000 calories, this equates to only 400 calories each day coming from ultra-processed foods—which is not much.

This is not the first study drawing a connection between ultra-processed foods and larger health concerns, and it’s likely not the last. Earlier this year, researchers found that ultra-processed foods lead to cancer, premature death, and heart disease. And, there have been other studies linking ultra-processed food with dementia, including a study that was published in Neurology in July.

What are ultra-processed foods?

The study defined ultra-processed foods as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives.”

In general, “If a food is easy, inexpensive, packaged, and lasts on the shelf for years—or includes artificial colors or flavors or synthetic additives—it may be an ultra-processed food,” says Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., plant-forward culinary nutritionist and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook. “They’re manufactured formulations or substances, such as protein isolates, refined oils, and processed sugars and starches in which little ‘whole food’ value remains.”

Some examples of ultra-processed foods, according to Newgent, include:

  • Sugar-sweetened drinks
  • Packaged cookies
  • Breakfast cereals made from refined grains
  • Snack chips or pretzels made from refined grains
  • Processed red meats, like bacon and hot dogs

How do ultra-processed foods affect health?

Frequently eating ultra-processed foods is less healthy than fresh foods, says Amit Sachdev, M.D., director of the division of neuromuscular medicine at Michigan State University.

Part of the problem is that you may be short-changing your health based on what you’re not getting, says Newgent. “A concern is not that you occasionally enjoy some ultra-processed foods in your eating plan; it’s if you’re eating them instead of wholesome nutrient-rich foods—and you’re consistently eating ultra-processed foods over time.”

How do ultra-processed foods affect our brain health and contribute to dementia risk?

From previous studies, “regular intake of ultra-processed foods seems to be associated with increased inflammation in the brain,” explains Newgent.

The best link we have between dementia risk and diet is through overall wellness, says Dr. Sachdev. “A healthy body will lead to a healthy brain.” And, a diet that includes fresh foods is typically better balanced and more nutritious, he adds.

The bottom line

“What you eat really does matter, for the brain and the body,” says Dr. Sachdev. But, as Newgent explains, we know that no one is perfect. “If you don’t eat any ultra-processed foods, that’s amazing,” she says, “However, the most realistic advice for most is to aim for limiting, not eliminating ultra-processed foods.” Generally speaking, know that you can occasionally enjoy a handful of refined grain pretzels or chips; but the key is a handful not a bowlful—and occasionally not daily, says Newgent.

In the end, it’s all about balance. But, this new research just goes to show how vital healthy eating is for every part of our body—especially our brains. As far as further studies to come, Dr. Sachdev explains, “We need to better understand what is toxic to the brain and body, so we can help to eliminate it.”

So until we know how to treat dementia, we will have to do our best to prevent it from developing by starting with a healthy lifestyle and diet with minimal ultra-processed foods.

Madeleine, Prevention’s assistant editor, has a history with health writing from her experience as an editorial assistant at WebMD, and from her personal research at university. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience—and she helps strategize for success across Prevention’s social media platforms. 

Read original article here

Health

Ultra-processed foods linked to cognitive decline, dementia

Leave a comment

Ultra-processed foods might make our lives easier and taste delicious, but they might have detrimental impacts down the line — possibly leading to dementia.

A new study published in JAMA Neurology on Monday found that people could be at a higher risk of cognitive decline if more than 20% of their daily caloric intake is ultra-processed foods.

That’s about 400 calories a day in a diet of 2,000 calories a day. An order of small fries and a regular cheeseburger from McDonald’s is 530 calories.

Other examples of ultra-processed foods include frozen pizza, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, doughnuts and ice cream.

In the study, researchers defined ultra-processed foods as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers and other cosmetic additives.”

“Fifty-eight percent of the calories consumed by United States citizens, 56.8% of the calories consumed by British citizens, and 48% of the calories consumed by Canadians come from ultra-processed foods,” co-author Dr. Claudia Suemoto, an assistant professor in the division of geriatrics at the University of São Paulo Medical School, said.

Those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline.
Getty Images

The part of the brain involved in executive functioning — the ability to process information and make decisions — is especially impacted by the risk of cognitive decline, according to the study.

More than 10,000 Brazilians between 35 and 74 years old were followed for up to 10 years for the study, which aimed to see how eating this kind of food affected brain power.

A new study found that people could be at a higher risk of cognitive decline if more than 20% of their daily caloric intake is ultra-processed foods.
Getty Images

Participants were tested at the beginning and end of the study to see if their mental state had changed. Tests included immediate and delayed word recall, word recognition and verbal fluency. They also had to complete food questionnaires to determine how much ultra-processed foods they consumed.

Those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive-function decline compared to those who ate less than 20%.

In addition to cognitive decline, ultra-processed foods can be linked to an increased risk in obesity, heart and circulation problems, diabetes, cancer and a shorter life span.

Examples of ultra-processed foods include frozen pizza, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, doughnuts and ice cream.
Getty Images

One way to prevent ultra-processed foods from impairing your cognitive health is by cooking and preparing the food from scratch, according to Suemoto.

“People need to know they should cook more and prepare their own food from scratch. I know we say we don’t have time, but it really doesn’t take that much time,” she said. 

“And it’s worth it, because you’re going to protect your heart and guard your brain from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the take-home message: Stop buying things that are super processed.” 

Read original article here

Health

Ultraprocessed food may contribute to dementia, study says

Leave a comment

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.



CNN
 — 

We all eat them — ultraprocessed foods such as frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals make our busy lives much easier. Besides, they are just darn tasty — who isn’t susceptible to hot dogs, sausages, burgers, french fries, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, doughnuts and ice cream, to name just a few?

If more than 20% of your daily calorie intake is ultraprocessed foods, however, you may be raising your risk for cognitive decline, a new study found.

That amount would equal about 400 calories a day in a 2,000-calories-a-day diet. For comparison, a small order of fries and regular cheeseburger from McDonald’s contains a total of 530 calories.

The part of the brain involved in executive functioning — the ability to process information and make decisions — is especially hard hit, according to the study published Monday in JAMA Neurology.

Men and women in the study who ate the most ultraprocessed foods had a 25% faster rate of executive function decline and a 28% faster rate of overall cognitive impairment compared with those who ate the least amount of overly processed food.

“While this is a study of association, not designed to prove cause and effect, there are a number or elements to fortify the proposition that some acceleration in cognitive decay may be attributed to ultraprocessed foods,” said Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine and nutrition, who was not involved in the study.

“The sample size is substantial, and the follow-up extensive. While short of proof, this is robust enough that we should conclude ultraprocessed foods are probably bad for our brains.”

There was an interesting twist, however. If the quality of the overall diet was high — meaning the person also ate a lot of unprocessed, whole fruits and veggies, whole grains and healthy sources of protein — the association between ultraprocessed foods and cognitive decline disappeared, Katz said.

“Ultraprocessed foods drag diet quality down, and thus their concentration in the diet is an indicator of poor diet quality in most cases,” Katz said. “Atypical as it seems, apparently some of the participants managed it. And when diet quality was high, the observed association between ultraprocessed foods and brain function abated.”

The study followed over 10,000 Brazilians for up to 10 years. Just over half of the study participants were women, White or college educated, while the average age was 51.

Cognitive testing, which included immediate and delayed word recall, word recognition and verbal fluency, was performed at the beginning and end of the study, and participants were asked about their diet.

“In Brazil, ultraprocessed foods make up 25% to 30% of total calorie intake. We have McDonald’s, Burger King, and we eat a lot of chocolate and white bread. It’s not very different, unfortunately, from many other Western countries,” coauthor Dr. Claudia Suemoto, an assistant professor in the division of geriatrics at the University of São Paulo Medical School, told CNN when the study abstract was released in August.

“Fifty-eight percent of the calories consumed by United States citizens, 56.8% of the calories consumed by British citizens, and 48% of the calories consumed by Canadians come from ultraprocessed foods,” Suemoto said.

Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives,” according to the study.

Those in the study who ate the most ultraprocessed foods were “more likely to be younger, women, White, had higher education and income, and were more likely to have never smoked, and less likely to be current alcohol consumers,” the study found.

In addition to the impact on cognition, ultraprocessed foods are already known to raise the risk of obesity, heart and circulation problems, diabetes, cancer and a shorter life span.

“Ultraprocessed foods in general are bad for every part of us,” said Katz, president and founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

Ultaprocessed foods are usually high in sugar, salt and fat, all of which promote inflammation throughout the body, which is “perhaps the most major threat to healthy aging in the body and brain,” said Dr. Rudy Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the genetics and aging research unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was not involved in the study.

“Meanwhile, since they are convenient as a quick meal, they also replace eating food that is high in plant fiber that is important for maintaining the health and balance of the trillions of bacteria in your gut microbiome,” Tanzi added, “which is particularly important for brain health and reducing risk of age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.”

How can you keep this from happening to you? If you include ultraprocessed foods in your diet, try to counter these by also eating high-quality, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

“The conclusion suggested here is that ultraprocessed foods are, indeed, an important ‘ingredient,’ but the exposure that should be the focus of public health efforts is overall diet quality,” Katz said.

One easy way to ensure diet quality is to cook and prepare your food from scratch, Suemoto said.

“We say we don’t have time, but it really doesn’t take that much time,” Suemoto said.

“And it’s worth it because you’re going to protect your heart and guard your brain from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the take-home message: Stop buying things that are superprocessed.”

Read original article here

Health

The One Ultra-Processed Food No One Over 40 Should Be Eating Anymore Because It Ruins Your Metabolism

Leave a comment

Losing weight is all about making healthy choices, from finding time to exercise daily to providing your body with nutritious meals. This means we sometimes have to sacrifice some of our favorite foods for the sake of our weight loss goals—especially when it comes to highly processed options that taste great but are terrible for our overall health. One such ultra-processed food is none other than the notorious white bread, with health experts agree you should definitely cut back on if you want to shed a few pounds.

To learn more about the health affects of white bread and why you should avoid it if you’re trying to slim down, we spoke to nutritionist Lisa Richards, creator of The Candida Diet. She told us that the refined ingredients can throw a serious wrench in your progress. Find all of her expert insight below!

75+ Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your Holiday List

Shutterstock

White bread

Let’s face it: bread is delicious, and it’s likely an essential item in your kitchen. However, Richards says that if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to limit your intake of this carby food. “Bread is a food that should be eaten in moderation due to it’s processed and refined nature,” she says. “Bread, of all kinds, is calorically dense and inflammatory.” However, certain breads are worse than others and should be avoided altogether (or at least as much as possible) if you want to lose weight and maintain a healthy metabolism. Richard cites white bread as the worse due to the fact that its loaded with refined carbs.

“White bread is made with refined carbohydrates and lacking in fiber and other beneficial nutrients,” she explains. “Refined carbs are highly inflammatory and turn to sugar quickly causing a quick rise in glucose.” Yikes! All of those refined ingredients are loaded with calories but take little energy for your body to process, which over time, that can take a serious toll on your metabolism.

READ MORE:

Nutritionists Say You Should Be Having These Vegetables Every Day Over 30 To Boost Your Metabolism

This Is The Best Morning Yogurt For Weight Loss Over 40, Nutritionists Say

Shutterstock

She goes on to say that “eating bread on a regular basis will lead to weight gain because most breads are made from refined grains, sugar, and preservatives,” which are “inflammatory ingredients and are also broken down quickly to be stored as fat.”

Additionally, keep in mind that since processed foods like white bread offer virtually no nutritional value, they won’t keep you full for very long, which will likely lead to overeating later in the day—and that can, of course, be detrimental to your weight loss goals as well.

Of course, eating bread every now and then won’t make it impossible to lose weight. Just be sure to choose fibrous, whole wheat options whenever possible and to practice moderation. Those healthy choices can make all the difference in the end!

READ MORE:

4 Processed Foods That Are Terrible For Your Health, Doctors Say

The One Healthy Bread You Can Eat Every Day Without Gaining Weight

; if (!f._fbq)f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = '2.0'; n.queue = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) }(window, document, 'script', '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');

fbq('init', '1230911863589528'); fbq('track', "PageView");

Read original article here

Health

Eating Ultra-Processed “Ready-To-Eat-or-Heat” Foods Linked to Premature Death

Leave a comment

A new study found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths in Brazil in 2019. This is especially alarming, because Brazilians consume far less of these products than countries with high incomes.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods containing little or no whole foods in their ingredients contributed to 57,000 premature deaths in Brazil in 2019, investigators report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have gradually been replacing traditional foods and meals made from fresh and minimally processed ingredients in many countries. These ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations, made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, are known to be unhealthy. A new research study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, has found that increased consumption of these foods was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths in Brazil in 2019. This is despite the fact that Brazilians consume far less of these products than countries with high incomes.

“Previous modeling studies have estimated the health and economic burden of critical ingredients, such as sodium, sugar, and trans fats, and specific foods or drinks, such as sugar-sweetened beverages,” explained lead investigator Eduardo A.F. Nilson, ScD, Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil. “To our knowledge, no study to date has estimated the potential impact of UPFs on premature deaths. Knowing the deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods and modeling how changes in dietary patterns can support more effective food policies might prevent disease and premature deaths.”

Dr. Nilson and his colleagues modeled data from nationally representative dietary surveys to estimate baseline intakes of UPFs by sex and age group. Statistical analyses were used to estimate the proportion of total deaths that were attributable to the consumption of UPFs and the impact of reducing the intake of UPFs by 10%, 20%, and 50% within those age groups, using data from 2019. 

Across all age groups and sex strata, consumption of UPFs ranged from 13% to 21% of total food intake in Brazil during the period studied. A total of 541,260 adults aged 30 to 69 died prematurely in 2019, of whom 261,061 were from preventable, non-communicable diseases. The model found that approximately 57,000 deaths that year could be attributed to the consumption of UPFs, which corresponded to 10.5% of all premature deaths and 21.8% of all deaths from preventable noncommunicable diseases in adults aged 30 to 69. The investigators suggested that in high-income countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia, where UPFs account for more than half of total caloric intake, the estimated impact would be even higher.

Dr. Nilson noted that UPFs have steadily replaced the consumption of traditional whole foods, such as rice and beans, over time in Brazil. Reducing the consumption of UPFs and promoting healthier food choices may require multiple interventions and public health measures, such as fiscal and regulatory policies, changing food environments, strengthening the implementation of food-based dietary guidelines, and improving consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. 

Reducing the consumption of UPFs by 10% to 50% could potentially prevent approximately 5,900 to 29,300 premature deaths in Brazil each year.

Examples of ultra-processed foods are frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs, sausages, prepackaged soups, sodas, ice cream, and store-bought cookies, candies, doughnuts, and cakes.

“Consumption of UPFs is associated with many disease outcomes, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and other diseases, and it represents a significant cause of preventable and premature deaths among Brazilian adults,” said Dr. Nilson. “Even reducing consumption of UPFs to the levels of just a decade ago would reduce associated premature deaths by 21%. Policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed.”

Having a tool to estimate the deaths attributable to the consumption of UPFs can help countries estimate the burden of dietary changes related to the industrial processing of food and design more effective food policy options to promote healthier food environments.

Examples of UPFs are prepackaged soups, sauces, ready-to-eat meals, frozen pizza, sodas, ice cream, hot dogs, sausages, and store-bought cookies, candies, cakes, and doughnuts.

Reference: “Premature Deaths Attributable to the Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods in Brazil” by Eduardo A.F. Nilson, ScD; Gerson Ferrari, PhD; Maria Laura C. Louzada, PhD; Renata B. Levy, PhD; Carlos A. Monteiro, PhD and Leandro F.M. Rezende, ScD, 7 November 2022, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.013



Read original article here

Health

Ultraprocessed Foods Linked to Premature Deaths

Leave a comment

Summary: Increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths.

Source: Elsevier

Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, have gradually been replacing traditional foods and meals made from fresh and minimally processed ingredients in many countries.

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found that increased consumption of these foods was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths in Brazil in 2019, although Brazilians consume far less of these products than countries with high incomes.

“Previous modelling studies have estimated the health and economic burden of critical ingredients, such as sodium, sugar and trans fats, and specific foods or drinks, such as sugar sweetened beverages,” explained lead investigator Eduardo A.F. Nilson, ScD, Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil.

“To our knowledge, no study to date has estimated the potential impact of UPFs on premature deaths. Knowing the deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods and modeling how changes in dietary patterns can support more effective food policies might prevent disease and premature deaths.”

Dr. Nilson and his colleagues modeled data from nationally representative dietary surveys to estimate baseline intakes of UPFs by sex- and age-group. Statistical analyses were used to estimate the proportion of total deaths that were attributable to the consumption of UPFs and the impact of reducing intake of UPFs by 10%, 20%, and 50% within those age groups, using data from 2019.

Across all age groups and sex strata, consumption of UPFs ranged from 13% to 21% of total food intake in Brazil during the period studied. A total of 541,260 adults aged 30 to 69 died prematurely in 2019, of whom 261,061 were from preventable, noncommunicable diseases.

The model found that approximately 57,000 deaths that year could be attributed to the consumption of UPFs, which corresponded to 10.5% of all premature deaths and 21.8% of all deaths from preventable noncommunicable diseases in adults aged 30 to 69.

The investigators suggested that in high income countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia, where UPFs account for more than half of total caloric intake, the estimated impact would be even higher.

Dr. Nilson noted that UPFs have steadily replaced the consumption of traditional whole foods, such as rice and beans, over time in Brazil. Reducing the consumption of UPFs and promoting healthier food choices may require multiple interventions and public health measures, such as fiscal and regulatory policies, changing food environments, strengthening the implementation of food-based dietary guidelines, and improving consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Reducing consumption of UPFs by 10% to 50% could potentially prevent approximately 5,900 to 29,300 premature deaths in Brazil each year. Image is in the public domain

Reducing consumption of UPFs by 10% to 50% could potentially prevent approximately 5,900 to 29,300 premature deaths in Brazil each year.

See also

“Consumption of UPFs is associated with many disease outcomes, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and other diseases, and it represents a significant cause of preventable and premature deaths among Brazilian adults,” said Dr. Nilson.

“Even reducing consumption of UPFs to the levels of just a decade ago would reduce associated premature deaths by 21%. Policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed.”

Having a tool to estimate the deaths attributable to consumption of UPFs can help countries estimate the burden of dietary changes related to the industrial processing of food and design more effective food policy options to promote healthier food environments.

Examples of UPFs are prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, ice cream, and store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, and doughnuts.

About this diet and mortality research news

Author: Press Office
Source: Elsevier
Contact: Press Office – Elsevier
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: The findings will appear in American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Read original article here

The Ultimate News Site