Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods could increase your risk of an unsightly, flaky skin condition by more than a third, French research suggests.
Experts came to this conclusion after analyzing health and diet data from more than 18,000 people who participated in a long-term nutrition study.
By dividing the group into three levels based on how much ultra-processed foods (UPF) they ate per day on average, the scientists found that the group that ate the most had a 36 percent higher risk of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes scaly, scaly patches of skin to appear on the body, including the face, and around one in 50 Britons suffer from it.
It’s the latest study to suggest that eating UPF could cause multiple health harms, from increased risk of heart disease, some cancers and even premature death.
UPF is a staple of the modern British diet and is an umbrella term that covers a host of foods packed with artificial colours, sweeteners and preservatives, as well as calories and sugar.
Examples include ready meals, ice cream, and even ketchup.
But British experts said the French study should be treated with caution because, like many of its kind, it does not prove that UPF is directly responsible.
Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods could increase your risk of unsightly scaly skin condition by more than a third, French research suggests
In the research, published in the journal JAMA DermatologyThe authors theorized that eating a diet rich in UPF could make the body more prone to inflammation.
This, in turn, they said could increase the chances of developing psoriasis, which develops as a result of inflammation of skin cells.
The analysis suggested that the association between high-UPF diets and psoriasis remained even when factors such as participants’ excess weight and underlying conditions were taken into account.
Experts still don’t fully understand why psoriasis appears, but it is believed to be related to a dysfunction of the immune system that triggers inflammation in the body and accelerates skin growth.
Normally, skin cells are replaced every three to four weeks, but in psoriasis patients this occurs approximately every three to seven days.
The authors of the study admitted They noted flaws in their study, such as relying on participants to self-report that they had the skin condition, which could have influenced the reliability of the results.
They concluded that the relationship between psoriasis and UPF needed more large-scale studies.
British experts, who were not involved in the study, cautioned that the results should be treated with caution.
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes scaly, scaly patches of skin to appear on the body, and around one in 50 Britons suffer from it.
UPF is a staple of the modern British diet and is an umbrella term that covers a host of foods full of artificial colours, sweeteners and preservatives that extend shelf life.
Professor Wendy Hall, an expert in nutritional sciences at Kings College London, said it was vital to remember that the study showed a link between psoriasis and high UPF consumption, not a cause and effect.
He suggested that it is possible that having psoriasis could lead someone to eat more UPF to seek comfort, as sufferers can experience self-esteem issues.
Professor Hall highlighted another flaw of the study that is common in UPF research: it does not distinguish between different types of highly processed foods.
Experts have expressed concern that the term UPF is confusing, since both a loaf of whole-grain bread that has some health benefits and a ready-made meal packed with salt, fat and sugar meet the criteria.
This can make it unclear which UPF might be causing a particular health problem.
Researchers have also highlighted that UPFs may not be directly causing the health problems seen in the studies.
Instead, they suggested that eating a lot of UPF could be a symptom of other problems such as poverty, which can reduce people’s intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Professor Hall also said the relationship between diet and psoriasis was an “understudied” area that deserved further research.
The UK is the worst country in Europe for UPF consumption, which makes up around 57 per cent of the national diet.
They are believed to be a key driver of obesity, which costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year.
They often contain colorings, emulsifiers, flavorings and other additives, and typically undergo multiple industrial processes that research shows break down the physical structure of foods, making them faster to absorb.
This, in turn, increases the risk of blood sugar spikes and spikes, which reduces satiety.
It has also been said to damage the microbiome, the community of “friendly” bacteria that live inside us and that we depend on for good health.