A large study has found that people with a high intake of ultra-processed foods have different blood metabolites, with higher levels of ‘bad’ fatty acids and fewer beneficial fatty acids, than those with a lower intake of these foods.
Ultra-processed foods and health
Ultra-processed foods are highly processed foods that contain additives, and generally contain high levels of fat, sugar, carbohydrates, sodium, and energy.
There is increasing evidence that they may be harmful to our health, with one recent study linking UPF intake to 32 adverse health effects, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
High UPF intake can alter metabolites in the blood, increasing levels of harmful fatty acids and decreasing levels of fats that are essential for cellular functions.
Study findings
The study, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, analyzed data from the EPIC cohort study, in which more than 520,000 volunteers from 10 European countries were enrolled between 1992 and 2000.
Researchers analyzed the dietary questionnaires of over 15,200 people, categorizing foods by the NOVA system, which groups foods into one of four groups according to how much processing they have undergone.
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Participants’ median intake of UPFs was around 12.6% of their diet.
Metabolic changes
Jessica Blanco-López, MD PhD, the study’s lead author, told Medical News Today: “Our study adds biological evidence to the growing body of research linking ultra-processed food consumption with poorer health outcomes.
Thomas M. Holland, a physician-scientist, commented that the study adds another important layer to the growing body of evidence linking higher consumption of UPFs with poorer health.
The changes in metabolites involved in lipid metabolism and energy metabolism suggest that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a metabolic profile that may reflect disrupted lipid homeostasis.
Holland added that future research should include more contemporary cohorts, untargeted metabolomic approaches, and intervention studies that examine whether reducing ultra-processed food intake leads to improvements in these metabolic signatures over time.
Reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods may be one component of a broader healthy lifestyle, and a healthy diet is essential for overall well-being.
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