Researchers analyzed the health impact of a series of ultra-processed “plant-based” foods, confirming other findings linking processed foods with health problems.
More and more studies are finding links between ultra-processed foods (UPF) and an increased risk of suffering health problems such as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
A team of researchers from the University of São Paulo (Brazil) and Imperial College de Londres (UK) specifically studied the impact of highly processed “plant-based” foods on cardiovascular risk.
They analyzed data from almost 120.000 personas from the UK Biobank who had an average age of 55 years.
When the diet was richer in unprocessed plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals or nuts, the risks were reduced.
A 10% increase in these types of ingredients was associated with a 7% reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease and 8% in coronary heart disease.
However, consumption of ultra-processed foods of non-animal origin was associated with an increased risk. A five percent risk of cardiovascular disease and a 12 percent risk of mortality.
UPFs in general were also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
“We have another strong argument to encourage the reduction of consumption of ultra-processed foods, regardless of whether they are of animal or plant origin,” said Dr. Renata Levy, one of the authors of the study and professor at the University of São, in a statement. Paul.
What ultra-processed foods were included in the study?
The study looked at a wide range of ultra-processed foods, such as industrial breads, pastries, cookies and cakes. Meat alternatives only represented 0.2% of the plant-based UPF.
Dr. Hilda Mulrooney, professor of nutrition and health at London Metropolitan University, said it’s a statement that the study was “impressive for its size and for having used a wide range of statistical methods to demonstrate an effect.”
But he noted that “the biggest contributor to ultra-processed plant-based foods is not meat alternatives, but bread, pastries, buns, cakes and cookieswhich may not be good markers of a plant-based diet, since many people who consume meat will also consume those products.
“The study is limited to showing associations and cannot demonstrate causality,” he added.
Several experts also pointed out that the study was based on the NOVA classification system, which classifies foods according to their degree of transformation but does not take into account their nutritional content.
“Too high an intake of any food group is likely to cause an imbalance, and I would be much more concerned if healthy foods were more affordable. Eating lower quality foods is the only option for many people due to cost of living pressures“Mulrooney added.
