Quarter of heart disease cases linked to ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may be responsible for a quarter of heart disease cases and deaths, according to a new study.
Reducing consumption of foods such as chips, biscuits, processed meat and fizzy drinks could significantly reduce the number of people suffering from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, researchers say.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico, analyzed Canadian health data to estimate the impact of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs).
Experts found that 23 to 38 per cent of cardiovascular disease events in Canada in 2019 may be linked to UPF consumption.
This equates to 58,200 to 96,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 10,600 to 17,400 related deaths.
Researchers estimate that reducing UPF intake by 20 to 50 percent could prevent 45,900 new cases and as many as 8,300 deaths.
They concluded: “These findings reinforce the need for clinical and public health interventions aimed at reducing UPF intake as an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention.
“Comprehensive structural measures are essential to achieve meaningful change in dietary patterns.
“These include regulations on food taxes, front-pack labeling, marketing restrictions and reformulation targets aimed at improving food quality.”
UPFs are foods that have been greatly altered from their original form and often contain preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial colors and sweeteners. These include ready meals, processed meats, ice cream, sliced bread, breakfast cereals, chips and sugary drinks.
But many nutritionists cautioned that the findings should be interpreted with caution.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, from the University of Reading, said: “This modeling study is based on the assumption that excessive consumption of processed food increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“But there is little reliable evidence that this is the case.”
Professor Alberto Fiore of Abertay University added: “This is a modeling study, not a clinical study; it does not measure what actually happens to people who consume more or less ultra-processed foods.”
He argued that the real culprit, rather than industrial food processing, may be a diet rich in sugar, saturated fat and salt, noting that sugary drinks and processed meats are responsible for much of the estimated risk.
