Many of the foods we eat a lot of during Christmas are ultra-processed, such as sausage, julmust, and candy. Even though it's a limited time, it can be good to think about, says Emily Sonestedt, associate professor at Lund University.
Ultra-processed food has previously been linked to an increased risk of, among other things, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers from Lund University have taken a closer look at what type of ultra-processed food that primarily increases the risk of premature death.
Soda and Meat
The study points out two types of foods that are particularly central - ultra-processed meat and soda. The risk was especially clear among women.
All ultra-processed foods are not unhealthy, but many contain a lot of salt, sugar, and fat, and few nutrients - like soda, says Emily Sonestedt, who was one of the responsible researchers for the study.
The study, which has been published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, is based on self-reported data on diet from 27,670 participants in Skåne. The participants have also been given in-depth questions about how they prepare their food and what they eat during interviews.
The key results from the study show an association between high intake of ultra-processed food and an increased risk of premature death, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from respiratory disease. The more the participants ate, the higher the risk.
Physical Activity Protects
This is also true after the researchers have taken into account other factors that affect mortality, such as alcohol consumption and living alone. The association was, however, weaker among those who had a higher level of physical activity.
The researchers did not see any association between high intake of ultra-processed food and mortality in cancer.
Even though the association appeared stronger among women, it's not a free pass for men to drink large amounts of soda.
No, just sugar-sweetened soda is associated with many negative health outcomes, even among men, says Emily Sonestedt.
Petra Hedbom/TT
What is Ultra-Processed Food?
TT
There are several systems for classifying foods based on how they have been processed. The system that is most common today when it comes to research on food and health is Nova.
Since the majority of the food we eat is industrially produced, very many foods are classified as ultra-processed according to the Nova definition. This applies regardless of whether they are nutritious or not.
Classification of foods according to the Nova classification system:
# Group 1 Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
Examples: Vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, eggs, milk, coffee, natural yogurt, rice, oats, dried milk, fruit juice.
# Group 2 Processed ingredients - used for cooking
Examples: Vegetable oils, butter, honey, and sugar, corn flour, potato flour, salt.
# Group 3 Processed foods - produced by combining group 2 with group 1.
Examples: Canned vegetables and fruit, salted nuts, smoked meat. Bread, baked goods, and cheese that are not industrially produced.
# Group 4 Ultra-processed food - contains one or more of the following:
Ingredients used almost exclusively by industry, raw materials that have been broken down and then reassembled, added sugar, fat, and salt, often in combination, and sold in attractive packaging that encourages overconsumption.
Examples: Soda, candy, and chocolate, ice cream, chips, industrially produced bread, baked goods, and cakes, sweetened dairy products, chicken nuggets, sausage, sweetened breakfast cereals, powdered food such as soups or meal replacements.
Source: Lund University
