Newsletter #141: Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are No Bueno 🌭
Welcome to the newest edition of the humanOS newsletter!
This week, we gained some insight into the health impact of ultra-processed foods. We’ve talked about them before, but in case you are unfamiliar, ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations of substances derived from foods, which typically contain cosmetic additives and relatively little to no whole foods. Basically, we’re talking about junk food.
Eating more ultra-processed food has been linked to higher all-cause mortality, greater risk of cardiovascular disease, higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and even increased risk for depression. This may be due to the nutritional attributes of ultra-processed foods, which tend to be high in fat, sugar, and salt (that is why they are so damn delicious), but also chemical compounds in packaging and additives which are thought to disrupt the endocrine system and microbiome.
To learn more, scroll down 👇🏼
This Week’s Research Highlights
❤️ Consumption of ultra-processed food is linked to higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Researchers examined mortality and dietary data from a large cohort of Italian adults (n = 22475). Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. All foods and drinks consumed were classified according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing using the NOVA classification. Subjects were then divided into quartiles of intake, defined by the ratio of daily ultra-processed food intake to total food consumed. The researchers found that individuals reporting the highest intake of ultra-processed food (>14.6% of total food) experienced a 58% increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and a 26% increased risk of all-cause mortality. This lines up with an earlier study, which found that consuming more than 500 grams per day of ultra-processed foods was linked to 2-fold higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis, compared to consuming 100 grams per day.
🧠 Higher ultra-processed food intake is associated with symptoms of depression.
Researchers analyzed dietary and health data from a total of 13637 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is conducted in regular cycles to assess the health and nutritional status of the US population. Participants received a detailed interview in their home and physical examination, dietary survey, and clinical laboratory tests at a mobile examination center. Foods were classified as either ultra-processed or not ultra-processed using the NOVA system, and ultra-processed food intake was estimated as a proportion of total food intake. Statistical analysis revealed that individuals who scored higher on depressive symptoms tended to consume more ultra-processed foods. After adjusting for various potential confounders (such as physical activity, BMI, income, etc), they determined that those in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food intake (more than 73% of total energy intake) were at ~34% greater risk of depressive symptoms. This may be because higher intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with poorer overall diet quality (meaning less protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals), and low diet quality has been recognized as a risk factor for depression.
🍩 People who consume more ultra-processed food are at elevated risk for type 2 diabetes.
A large prospective cohort of middle-aged adults (n = 21730 participants) provided data on their daily food intake. From this data, ultra-processed food intake was defined using the NOVA classification, and subjects were divided into quartiles of intake. After a mean follow-up of 5.4 years, the researchers found that each increasing quartile of ultra-processed food intake was consistently associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and each 10 percentage point increment in ultra-processed food consumption was linked to a 12% increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Those in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food intake had a 44% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to those in the lowest quartile of intake, after adjusting for various potential confounders. This is in agreement with a recent prior study in Canadian adults, which found that adults in the highest tertile of ultra-processed food consumption had 37% higher odds of diabetes.
Question of the Week
🤔 Inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office. Where does the word inauguration come from?
💡 Answer (and more info here on augury)
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Julie Andersen: Research Into Aging & Neurodegenerative Disease. Via STEM-Talk. (Also check out our own interview with Dr. Andersen for more info!)
- Angela Rasmussen: Fact Check My Feed - What’s Up With These COVID-19 Mutations? Via Science Friday.
- Jake Mey: Dietetics, Evidence-based Practice, and Translating Science into Advice. Via Sigma Nutrition.
Products We Are Enjoying
Cronometer
You don’t have to track your food to be healthy, but it is probably the surest and more efficient way to optimize your nutrition, especially if you have specific goals like losing weight. Can’t manage what you don’t measure, right?
Cronometer is probably the most comprehensive nutrition tracker out there, with the ability to track up to 82 micronutrients. It is free and very easy to use - you can even scan food labels with the barcode scanner and add custom foods and recipes. Strongly recommended for health geeks who enjoy data.