Many lovers of processed foods, due to both their appearance and price, attract many people when selecting food. But again, a study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has shown that their consumption is associated with the risk of death caused by a heart-affected diseasecorazón.
Specifically, the study shows that eating a single serving a day of a food considered ultra-processed can increase the risk of dying from heart disease. Among these foods so loved by people but so harmful to health are chips, sweets, chocolate, and burgers, among others.
To carry out the research, several experts from New York University collected data from a study of 3,003 middle-aged adults, which examined the effect of these processed foods and their relationship to cardiovascular diseases.
Each serving increases the chance of dying from heart disease by 7%
Thus, according to the study, each daily portion of ultraprocessed foods, such as a single protein bar or a soda can, is associated with an increase of 7% increase in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 9% increase in the risk of dying from coronary artery disease. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests the cardiovascular benefits of limiting ultra-processed foods, says Filippa Juul, lead author of the study at this American university.
As Juul explains, the processed foods are “omnipresent” in our diets, as she emphasizes that there are food options that are apparently healthy but are full of preservatives and sugar, salt, and added fat. One example would be protein bars, breakfast cereals and most of the bread produced that has been produced in an industrial way.
While much of the population is aware that ultra-processed foods are harmful to health, the study shows that they continue to account for, on average, more than half of the daily calories in the diet of American citizens.
In addition, the study authors recommend highlighting the foods that are included within the ultraprocessed group as a possible incentive to reduce consumption, such as drinks with added sugar. According to them, it would also be essential to offer recommendations on more nutritious and affordable options for the population who do not know how to feed themselves healthily without being a huge economic expense for their pocket.
Recommend healthy options to the population
Strategies are needed for the entire population, such as taxes on sugary drinks and other ultra-processed foods, and recommendations on processing levels in national dietary guidelines, Juul warns, stressing that governments should implement policies that increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of nutritious and minimally processed foods, especially in disadvantaged populations.
According to specialists Robert J. Ostfeld and Kathleen E. Allen in an editorial accompanying the study, the goal is that unhealthy choice is the difficult choice and the healthy option the easy option, they wrote that accompanies the study.
The data speaks for itself
Specifically to carry out the study, the researchers used data from the Framingham Offspring Study. In this way, they examined what role ultraprocessed foods play in cardiovascular diseases. The study included 3,003 middle-aged adults with an average age of 53.5 years.
During an average of 18 years of follow-up to the study, a total of 648 cardiac events occurred, including 251 cases of sudden cardiovascular disease and 163 cases of sudden coronary disease among those involved in the study. In addition, during this follow-up time, there were 713 deaths, including 108 deaths from cardiovascular disease.
The study concludes that participants who ingested more ultra-processed foods had higher incidence rates compared to those who consumed the least amount.
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