Ultra-processed products: experiment reinforces the risks – 06/10/2023 – Health

“It’s a little scary to see these results after just two weeks.”

Aimee, 24, spent two weeks following a diet of ultra-processed foods as part of a study carried out by scientists at King’s College London for the BBC’s Panorama programme.

Nancy, her twin sister, followed a diet that contained exactly the same amount of calories, nutrients, fat, sugar, and fiber. But in her case, she was eating only fresh or unprocessed foods.

Aimee, who had worse blood sugar levels and increased fat levels, gained nearly a pound. Meanwhile, her sister Nancy has lost the same amount of weight.

The conclusions about the possible impact of so-called ultra-processed foods on our health are based on this short-term study done with the two twin sisters by Panorama.

Tim Spector, professor of epidemiology at King’s College and researcher of disease behavior, supervised the study.

Over the past decade, evidence has accumulated that ultra-processed foods are harmful to health in unexpected ways.

“We’re talking about all types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia,” says Spector.

The term “ultra-processed foods” began to be used only 15 years ago. This type of food represents approximately half of what is eaten in countries like the UK.

In Brazil, a study carried out by the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health at USP (University of São Paulo) showed that about 20% of the calories consumed by Brazilians come from ultra-processed foods.

From sliced ​​wholemeal breads to ready meals and ice cream, this is a group of foods made with varying – but often high – levels of industrial processing.

The ingredients used for its preparation such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers are not usually used in home cooking.

“Ultra-processed foods are some of the most profitable things companies can make,” says Professor Marion Nestle, a food policy expert and professor of nutrition at New York University.

As our consumption increases, so do the rates of diabetes and cancer.

Some academics believe that the relationship is not accidental.

The Panorama program accessed new scientific evidence showing the relationship between these types of chemicals and diseases such as cancer, diabetes and stroke.

The scientific journal The Lancet published in January one of the most comprehensive studies on the subject, carried out by the Imperial College School of Public Health.

The study of 200,000 adults in the UK determined that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be related to an increased risk of developing cancer in general, and specifically ovarian and brain cancer.

The most used ultra-processed foods:

• Packaged sweetened breads and cereals;
• Instant soups and microwave ready meals;
• Fruit flavored yoghurts;
• Reconstituted meat, such as ham and sausage;
• Ice cream, chips and cookies;
• Soft drinks and some alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, gin and rum.

The World Health Organization (WHO) last month recommended avoiding prolonged consumption of artificial sweeteners due to possible health risks.

Proving that certain ingredients cause disease can be difficult because there are a number of factors in our lifestyle that can lead to health problems. For example, lack of exercise, smoking or sugary diets.

The first research on mortality and consumption of ultra-processed foods began in France, at the Sorbonne Paris North University, as part of the ongoing study on the diet of 174,000 people.

“We have 24-hour dietary records during which the participants tell us all the food and drink they ingest”, explains the doctor Mathilde Touvier, who led the research.

Emulsifier, the jewel of the ultra-processed

Lately, the impact of a specific ingredient on food has been studied: emulsifiers, substances that act as glue in ultra-processed foods.

Emulsifiers are a gem for the food industry: they improve the appearance and texture of foods and help extend their shelf life much longer than less processed foods.

This element is everywhere: in mayonnaise, chocolate, peanut butter and meats. If you eat these foods, chances are you are consuming emulsifiers as part of your diet.

Panorama had exclusive access to the first results of Touvier’s research, which have not yet been analyzed by other specialists, a crucial step for verifying scientific studies.

“We have observed a clear relationship between the intake of emulsifiers and an increased risk of cancer in general, and of breast cancer in particular, but also of cardiovascular diseases”, says the researcher.

“That means we’ve seen a pattern between ultra-processed food consumption and disease risk. But more research is needed.”

Aspartame, sweeter than sugar

One of the most controversial additives among ultra-processed foods is the sweetener aspartame.

Two hundred times sweeter than sugar, it has been heralded as a great low-calorie alternative, transforming previously unhealthy sugary drinks, ice creams and mousses into products marketed as “healthy”.

During the last two decades, questions have arisen about its possible harmful effects.

Last month, the WHO said that while the evidence was inconclusive, it feared that long-term use of sweeteners such as aspartame could increase the risk of “type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mortality”.

In 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ruled that aspartame was safe, as did the Committee on Toxicity, which ruled in 2013 that the results “do not indicate the need to take measures to protect public health”.

However, six years later, Erik Millstone, a professor at the University of Sussex, decided to review the same evidence examined by the EFSA, to see who had funded the different studies.

Millstone found that 90% of studies advocating the sweetener were funded by large chemical companies that manufacture and sell aspartame, and that all studies suggesting that aspartame may be harmful were funded by independent, non-commercial sources.

EFSA guarantees that it will study the ongoing WHO assessment of this additive.