Scientists from McMaster University found that a higher intake of ultra-processed food is associated with a higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
The research is published in The BMJ and was conducted by Neeraj Narula et al.
Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals containing food additives, and reconstituted meat and fish products—often containing high levels of added sugar, fat, and salt, but lacking in vitamins and fiber.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is more common in industrialized nations and it is thought that dietary factors might play a role, but data linking ultra-processed food intake with IBD are limited.
In the study, researchers drew on detailed dietary information from 116,087 adults aged 35-70 years living in 21 countries.
Participants were enrolled in the study between 2003 and 2016 and were assessed at least every three years. Over an average follow-up of 10 years, new diagnoses of IBD, including Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, were recorded.
The researchers found that a higher intake of ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of IBD.
For example, compared with less than one serving of ultra-processed food per day, they found an 82% increased risk of IBD among those who consumed five or more servings per day, and a 67% increased risk for 1-4 servings per day.
Different subgroups of ultra-processed food, including soft drinks, refined sweetened foods, salty snacks, and processed meat, each were associated with higher risks of IBD.
In contrast, intakes of white meat, red meat, dairy, starch, fruit, vegetables, and legumes (such as peas, beans, and lentils) were not associated with IBD.
The team also found the results were consistent for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and were similar after further analysis to test the risk of developing IBD based on age and region, suggesting that the findings are robust.
They say their findings support the hypothesis that intake of ultra-processed foods could be an environmental factor that increases the risk of IBD.
White meat, unprocessed red meat, dairy, starch, fruit, vegetables, and legumes were not found to be associated with the development of IBD.
This study suggests that it might not be the food itself that confers this risk but rather the way the food is processed or ultra-processed.
If you care about bowel health, please read studies about more effective at-home treatment for common bowel diseases, and this diet could reduce common bowel diseases most effectively.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about turmeric compounds that could improve blood pressure, and results showing Vitamin C, but not vitamin E, linked to a lower risk of heart failure.
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