Heavy consumption of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of heart failure by 58%, the researchers warn.
Ultra-processed foods include bagged breads, sweet and savory snacks, chips, chocolate bars, sweets, fish or chicken nuggets, instant noodles and soups, and more that make our lives easier but not safer.
While critics of processed foods used to pay attention to their sugar content, now Italian scientists have analyzed the health effects of processed foods.
“Efforts to bring populations to a healthier diet can no longer be resolved by calorie counts or references to the Mediterranean diet alone. Young people are increasingly consuming ultra-processed foods that are easy to prepare and consume, extremely attractive and generally cheap, ”writes epidemiologist Licia Yacoviello of the University of Insubria in an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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In their study, Dr. Jacoviello and colleagues studied the dietary habits and health of 22,000 people over eight years and found that those subjects who regularly ate highly processed foods – that is, they accounted for 14.6% of their total diet – had 26% more chance of premature death.
According to Marialaura Bonaccio, an epidemiologist at the Mediterraneo Neuromed Institute of Neuroscience in Pozzilli, people who consume large amounts of processed foods have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (which cause brain vessel abnormalities).
Scientists also noted the role of sugar in processed foods, which often causes fatal harm to health. Sugar accounts for 40% of the increased risk of death, Italian experts said.
As co-author of the study, epidemiologist Augusto Di Castelnuovo of the Mediterranea Cardiocentro in Naples, explained, the idea of the study is to show the role of industrial processing that can cause profound changes in the structure and composition of nutrients.
“People need to understand that eating healthy is about more than counting calories. This includes the need to think about what you eat, ”explained Dr. Castelnuovo.
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Prof Iacoviello added that their research and other international observations suggest that fresh or minimally processed foods should play a primary role in healthy eating.
In the summer, the nutritionist explained how to make fast food useful… If you want to eat junk food, it’s best to cook it yourself from healthy foods.
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