Eating Ultra-Processed Foods Associated with an Increase in Heart Disease

by | Mar 16, 2020 | 2019, Cardiovascular Health

Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Study shows that ultra-processed foods are associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events and stroke.

health hazards - processed foodsHeart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide 1,2. One of the main contributing factors of heart disease is the diet 1. Ultra-processed foods have increased dramatically in recent decades and represents an estimated 57.9% of total calorie intake in the United States 1,3. Recent research has found a diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with cardiovascular disease in the body 1.

Ultra-processed foods are formulated foods with many ingredients to be both convenient and highly palatable 1,4. They are often high in fat, sugar, salt and calories, while low in fiber and vitamins 1. These foods also contain chemicals from processing that may be harmful for health. The recent research included 105,159 participants (20.8% men, 79.2% women; average age 42.7 years) from the NutriNet-Sante cohort study. The participants completed 3 separate (non-consecutive) 24-hour dietary recalls, at baseline and every 6-months (to vary the season) and were followed on average for 5.2 years. It included two weekdays and one weekend day. Trained dieticians then evaluated the information, but to avoid any modification of dietary behaviors, no individual data was reported back to the participant. Participants were also asked to report major health events through a yearly questionnaire and a check-up questionnaire every 3-months.

Results of the study were then divided into quarters. Those in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food consumption tended to be younger, current smokers, less educated, less family history of cardiovascular disease and have lower physical activity levels 1. They also had higher BMIs and calorie intake 1.

The average contribution of ultra-processed foods to the overall diet was 17.6% in men and 17.3% in women. The largest contribution of ultra-processed foods were sugary products (28%, ie- ice cream, pastries, sweetened dairy desserts), followed by ultra-processed fruit & vegetables (18%, ie- instant powder dehydrated vegetable soups, vegetable nuggets, fruit-based sweetened desserts) 1.

During the follow-up time of 5.2 years, there were 1,409 first time cardiovascular events (ie-heart attack, stroke). Intake of ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of overall cardiovascular disease (277 per 100,000 vs 242 per 100,000, p=0.02). These results remained significant even after adjustments for nutritional quality of the diet 1.

In conclusion, in this large observational study a higher consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease 1. It is important to note this was an observational study in France, which has a much lower consumption of ultra-processed food compared to the United States. Future research looking at the United States population would need to be conducted.

Srour, Bernard, Léopold K. Fezeu, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Benjamin Allès, Caroline Méjean, Roland M. Andrianasolo, Eloi Chazelas et al. “Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé).” bmj 365 (2019): l1451.

©This is an Open Access article.

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Posted March 16, 2020.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé). bmj. 2019;365:l1451.
  2. CDC. Heart Disease Facts. 2019; https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. Accessed March 12, 2020.
  3. Adams J, White M. Characterisation of UK diets according to degree of food processing and associations with socio-demographics and obesity: cross-sectional analysis of UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–12). International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2015;12(1):160.
  4. Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Moubarac J-C, Levy RB, Louzada MLC, Jaime PC. The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public health nutrition. 2018;21(1):5-17.