People who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as convenience foods, could be around 25 percent more likely to die from Parkinson’s disease, a study of more than 400,000 people has revealed.
Junk food eaters were also about 10 percent less likely to survive a stroke or heart attack.
Regardless of the underlying condition, eating a lot of ultra-processed foods increased the risk of premature death by four percent.
However, replacing a fraction of a person’s daily junk food intake with fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of death from all causes by six percent.
The study followed more than 400,000 Europeans from nine countries aged 35 to 74 for almost 16 years, tracking their diet along with their health outcomes.
writing in the diary The Lancet Regional Health – EuropeThe researchers said their results provided more evidence about the potential benefits of eating less UPF.
“Promoting the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods while discouraging highly processed foods in dietary recommendations may be beneficial for health,” they wrote.
UPFs, such as crisps, store-bought cakes, biscuits and some packaged sausages, often contain high levels of salt and sugar, as well as industrial colourings, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers and preservatives.
The study, carried out on more than 400,000 Europeans who were followed for almost 16 years, to warn about the potential dangers of consuming UPF. stock image
These foods typically undergo multiple industrial processes that research shows degrade the physical structure of the food, causing it to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.
This, in turn, increases blood sugar, reduces satiety, and damages the microbiome, the community of “friendly” bacteria living inside our intestines, which we depend on for good health.
Food additives such as non-nutritive sweeteners, modified starches, gums and emulsifiers have been linked to intestinal inflammation and hormonal responses to foods that can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Most surprising about the latest findings was the 23 percent higher risk of death from Parkinson’s disease in those who consumed above-average levels of UPF, defined as at least 13.7 percent of a participant’s daily food intake. .
Parkinson’s, which causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, causing movement problems, does not directly cause death.
However, the condition puts great strain on the body, which in turn leaves the person vulnerable to deadly infections.
A diet rich in UPF also increased the risk of death from “digestive diseases” by 12 percent, a general term that includes problems such as liver disease, stomach ulcer complications and appendicitis.
The odds of dying from a stroke increased by 11 percent, and deaths from cardiovascular problems such as heart disease increased by 5 to 9 percent.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, divides foods into four groups based on the amount of processing they have gone through. Unprocessed foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and meat. Processed culinary ingredients, which are not typically eaten alone, include oils, butter, sugar, and salt.
These results remained consistent even when the researchers excluded participants’ alcohol consumption from the results.
However, the team found no link between UPF consumption and an increased risk of death from cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
A separate part of the study also calculated what would happen if people swapped just 10 percent of the UPF they ate for unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
The exchange led to a 22 percent reduction in the chances of death from Parkinson’s, an 18 percent lower chance of death from digestive diseases, a stroke by 13 percent, and heart problems by 11 to 12 percent. .
The study was based on data from 428,728 people, the majority (70 percent) women.
Dietary information was collected through multiple surveys designed to determine what participants had eaten over the past year.
The diets were then ranked by the amount of ultra-processed foods, from minimally processed to those high in UPF.
Norway recorded the highest average UPF intake by country with foods such as ready meals and frozen pizzas, accounting for almost 23 percent of all foods consumed by weight.
UPFs refer to items that contain ingredients that people would not normally add when cooking homemade food. These additions can include chemicals, dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives that extend shelf life.
The UK came in second, with almost a fifth of the food consumed by Britons as a type of UPF, and Germany came in third with 17 per cent.
In contrast, France had the lowest UPF consumption with only 7 percent of food consumed, followed by Spain with 8 percent and Italy with 10 percent.
Like similar research, the results of the latest study are observational, meaning it cannot be proven that UPFs were directly responsible for health outcomes.
Data on participants’ diet was only recorded at the start of the study, meaning they may have changed their diet since then, which could influence the results.
The latest study follows a major review last year that found that eating lots of UPF foods was linked to an increased risk of 32 health problems, including cancer, type 2 diabetes and mental health disorders.
UPFs are believed to be a key driver of obesity, which costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year.
There is an ongoing debate among experts about whether UPFs are directly responsible for health problems or whether people who consume them tend to be more vulnerable to health problems.
Part of the problem is that those who consume large amounts of UPF are, on average, less healthy overall and poorer, both factors that can influence or exacerbate poor health outcomes.
Additionally, some ultra-processed foods may be worse for your health than others and this is rarely taken into account in studies.
Experts have previously described the “nebulous” nature of the term “ultra-processed foods.”
They emphasize that it does not distinguish between a ready meal full of fat, salt and sugar and a loaf of whole wheat bread, the latter of which, although still classified as UPF, has some health benefits.