Ultra-processed foods don’t do us any good. At least, that’s the conclusion of a new study from the American Academy of Nutrition, which tracked the eating habits and health of more than 540,000 people for nearly 30 years. The study found that older adults who ate more ultra-processed foods were about 10 percent more likely to die after 23 years of follow-up than those who ate less ultra-processed foods.
To classify ultra-processed foods, the study used the Nova food classification system, which classifies products such as energy drinks, fish sticks, frozen pizza, chocolate milk, hot dogs, candy, and packaged bread as ultra-processed foods.
The researchers noted that the “small increases in mortality” were associated with heart disease and diabetes, but no association with cancer was found. “Our findings add to a larger literature, including both observational and experimental studies, that shows that consumption of ultra-processed foods has negative effects on health and lifespan,” Dr. Erikka Loftfield, Stadtmann Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, said in a statement.
“But there’s still a lot we don’t know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods may pose health risks,” Loftfield continued. “We found that highly processed meats and soft drinks were some of the subgroups of ultra-processed foods most strongly associated with mortality risk, and diets low in these foods are already recommended for disease prevention and health promotion.”
The study builds on existing research showing that ultra-processed foods increase the risk of disease – hot dogs, bacon and sliced ham, for example, are already classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organisation.
Pexels
Studies show that processed foods increase risk of disease, while whole foods reduce risk
Many studies have shown that eating more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds can lower your risk of disease.
In June, another study from the American Academy of Nutrition joined this one, noting that eating just three servings of baby carrots a week could have a significant health benefit. That’s because baby carrots contain skin carotenoids, a type of phytonutrients with powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight damage caused by harmful free radicals in the body, which over time can increase the risk of chronic disease.
“Previous research has demonstrated that consuming three times the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily for three weeks can increase carotenoid concentrations in the skin,” Mary Harper Simmons, a master’s student in nutrition at Samford University, said in a statement about the new study.
“Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary change such as snacking on baby carrots can significantly increase carotenoid stores in the skin,” she continued. The study found that the benefits were even greater when baby carrots were combined with a multivitamin containing beta-carotene.
Photo by Tonelson
Another recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health also recommended dietary changes to reduce disease risk. The study, published in June, found that Prevoterakopri, This common gut bacteria was more prevalent in people with type 2 diabetes.
This microorganism produces large amounts of branched-chain amino acids, which increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
“We believe that changes in the gut microbiota may lead to type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Fenglei Wang said in a statement. “It’s possible that changes in the microbiota may occur first and then lead to the development of diabetes, rather than the other way around. However, future prospective and interventional studies are needed to firmly prove this relationship.”
“If these microbial properties are to blame, then we can find ways to change the microbiome and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes,” he added. “The microbiome is amenable to intervention — that is, we can change it with dietary changes, probiotics, or fecal transplants, for example.”
This study builds on previous evidence that incorporating more whole, plant-based foods into your diet can promote a healthy gut microbiome, as plant-based foods, which contain beneficial micronutrients such as polyphenols, help revitalize a poor gut environment, which leads to chronic inflammation and is a major risk factor for disease.
Getty
“Polyphenols are known as gut bodyguards and have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can improve your health,” says nutritionist Catherine Labes. BBC“Not only does it protect against harmful invaders, it also helps reduce inflammation and oxidative damage that can lead to chronic disease.”
If you would like to learn more about the benefits a plant-based diet can have on your gut and its ability to reduce your risk of disease, follow our guide to a whole-food, plant-based diet here.
For more plant-based stories like this one, read on:
Charlotte is an editor and writer at VegNews based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.
