Ultra-processed foods account for 58% of total energy in the average U.S. diet, but diet is a modifiable risk factor in the prevention of heart disease.
In a new study, researchers found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, with each additional daily serving found to further increase risk.
The research was conducted by a team at the New York University.
When foods are processed it may remove beneficial nutrients and other naturally occurring benefits, while adding non-beneficial nutrients and food additives.
Processing also changes the physical structure of foods. The consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked with being overweight/obese, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.
In the study, the team used data from the Framingham Offspring Study to examine the role ultra-processed foods play in heart disease.
The study included 3,003 middle-aged adults (on average 53.5 years).
The team defined several food categories in the participants’ diets:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, including fresh, dry or frozen plant and animal foods
Processed culinary ingredients, including table sugar, oils, fats, salts and other items used in kitchens to make culinary preparations
Processed foods, including foods such as canned fish and vegetables and artisanal cheeses
Ultra-processed foods, including industrial formulations made with no or minimal whole foods and produced with additives such as flavorings or preservatives
Culinary preparations, which encompassed mixed dishes that were indicated to be homemade or assumed to be homemade due to lack of detailed information
The researchers found that overall, 5.8% of the participants had diabetes and 19% had high blood pressure.
The prevalence was higher among participants who were high consumers of ultra-processed foods compared to low consumers.
Participants with the highest intakes of ultra-processed foods had higher incident rates compared to those consuming the least amount of ultra-processed foods.
Each daily serving of ultra-processed food was associated with a 9% increase in the risk of heart disease a 9% increased risk of heart disease death.
Researchers also found that intake of bread, salty snack foods, low-calorie soft drinks, and ultra-processed meat linked to an increased risk of heart disease and death.
The team says ultra-processed foods are ubiquitous and include many foods that are marketed as healthy, such as protein bars, breakfast cereals, and most industrially produced bread.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the heart benefits of limiting ultra-processed foods.
The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. One author of the study is Filippa Juul, MS, Ph.D.
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