Are you obsessed on eating junk & ultra processed foods with your friends?
Do you often prefer having cookies, biscuits or pastries with morning/day tea?
Do you often send packaged meals, soft drinks to your children as a lunchbox?
If yes then, TIME TO RETHINK!
As per the Credibility and GRADE ratings of WHO report 2024, association between greater exposure to ultra processed food and risk of following of each adverse health outcome has been found the most, which are:
- Prostate cancer
- Overweight + Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Neurodegenerative mortality
- Respiratory mortality
The Possible Cause:
Ultra-processed foods differ from unprocessed and minimally processed foods in several aspects, potentially explaining their plausible links with adverse health outcomes. More specifically, diets rich in ultra-processed foods are associated with markers of poor diet quality, with higher levels of added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium; higher energy density; and lower fibre, protein, and micronutrients. Ultra-processed foods displace more nutritious foods in diets, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, resulting in reduced intakes of beneficial bioactive compounds that are present in these foods. Such nutrient-poor dietary profiles have been implicated in the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases through various pathways, including inflammatory mechanisms.
A recent review of experimental research found that ultra-processed weight loss formulations composed of ostensibly balanced nutrient profiles but containing different additives, including non-sugar sweeteners, may have adverse effects on the gut microbiome—which is thought to play an important function in many of the diseases studied here—and related inflammation. The World Health Organization recently warned against the ongoing use of sugar substitutes for weight control or non-communicable illnesses. According to its new report, non-sugar sweeteners may also elevate the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and mortality.
In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified the non-sugar sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. Increasing evidence suggests that ultra-processed food especially diary based desserts is linked to higher risk of central nervous system demyelination (a precursor of multiple sclerosis), lower cognitive function and dementia. The increased respiratory mortality associated with processed red meat.
Summary
On the basis of above data, Higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with slightly increased all cause mortality. Ultra-processed food consumption with meat/poultry/seafood based ready-to-eat products generally showing the strongest and most consistent associations with mortality. The findings provide support for limiting consumption of above certain types of ultra-processed food for long term health.
Based on above understanding, The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) list of 10 most ultra-processed food mostly consumed by South Asian people which need to be immediately stopped are:
1. Carbonated soft drinks
2. Packaged snacks
3. Sweetmeats
4. Biscuits/cookies
5. Cakes/pastries,
6. Sweetened cereals
7. Fruit yoghurt energy drinks
8. Pre prepared meats
9. Cheese, pizza and pasta
10. Noodles and ‘instant’ soups.
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Ref: BMJ,2024, WHO