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Ultra-processed foods and obesity and adiposity parameters among children and adolescents: a systematic review.
De Amicis, R, Mambrini, SP, Pellizzari, M, Foppiani, A, Bertoli, S, Battezzati, A, Leone, A
European journal of nutrition. 2022
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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are mostly or entirely lacking whole foods and fibre and are often high in fat sugar and salt. The consumption of UPFs may be linked to obesity in adolescents and this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesis the current research investigating this link. The results showed that over the long-term, the consumption of UPFs was associated with obesity, abdominal obesity, and increased body mass index in children. It was concluded that the long-term consumption of UPFs negatively impacts body composition in children and adolescents. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand the importance of dietary advice recommending whole foods with limited or no processed foods for the healthy body development of children.
Abstract
PURPOSE According to the NOVA classification, ultra-processed foods are products made through physical, biological and chemical processes and typically with multiple ingredients and additives, in which whole foods are mostly or entirely absent. From a nutritional point of view, they are typically energy-dense foods high in fat, sugar, and salt and low in fiber. The association between the consumption of ultra-processed food and obesity and adiposity measurements has been established in adults. However, the situation remains unclear in children and adolescents. METHODS We carried out a systematic review, in which we summarize observational studies investigating the association between the consumption of ultra-processed food, as defined by NOVA classification, and obesity and adiposity parameters among children and adolescents. A literature search was performed using PUBMED and Web of Science databases for relevant articles published prior to May 2021. RESULTS Ten studies, five longitudinal and five cross-sectional, mainly conducted in Brazil, were included in this review. Four longitudinal studies in children with a follow-up longer than 4 years found a positive association between the consumption of ultra-processed food and obesity and adiposity parameters, whereas cross-sectional studies failed to find an association. CONCLUSION These data suggest that a consistent intake of ultra-processed foods over time is needed to impact nutritional status and body composition of children and adolescents. Further well-designed prospective studies worldwide are needed to confirm these findings considering country-related differences in dietary habits and food production technologies.
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A Systematic Review on Processed/Ultra-Processed Foods and Arterial Hypertension in Adults and Older People.
Barbosa, SS, Sousa, LCM, de Oliveira Silva, DF, Pimentel, JB, Evangelista, KCMS, Lyra, CO, Lopes, MMGD, Lima, SCVC
Nutrients. 2022;14(6)
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The NOVA system is a way of classifying the level of processing a food has undergone; ranging from un-processed to ultra-processed. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are nutritionally imbalanced and are often highly calorific. Processed foods (PFs) are the next level down from UPFs and usually have added salt or sugar. Both foods pose a potential health-risk if eaten in excess, with high blood pressure being a potential resulting disease. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the relationship between the consumption of PFs and UPFs and high blood pressure in adults. The results showed that as the consumption of UPFs increased, so did the risk for high blood pressure, however this relationship was not seen with the consumption of PFs. It was concluded that the high consumption of UPFs is associated with a greater risk of developing high blood pressure in adults and older people. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend a diet without UPFs to those who are at risk of high blood pressure or in those who have already been diagnosed.
Abstract
The increase in the availability of processed and ultra-processed foods has altered the eating patterns of populations, and these foods constitute an exposure factor for the development of arterial hypertension. This systematic review analyzed evidence of the association between consumption of processed/ultra-processed foods and arterial hypertension in adults and older people. Electronic searches for relevant articles were performed in the PUBMED, EMBASE and LILACS databases. The review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The search of the databases led to the retrieval of 2323 articles, eight of which were included in the review. A positive association was found between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and blood pressure/arterial hypertension, whereas insufficient evidence was found for the association between the consumption of processed foods and arterial hypertension. The results reveal the high consumption of ultra-processed foods in developed and middle-income countries, warning of the health risks of such foods, which have a high energy density and are rich in salt, sugar and fat. The findings underscore the urgent need for the adoption of measures that exert a positive impact on the quality of life of populations, especially those at greater risk, such as adults and older people.
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The Western Diet-Microbiome-Host Interaction and Its Role in Metabolic Disease.
Zinöcker, MK, Lindseth, IA
Nutrients. 2018;10(3)
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The Western diet is characteristically high in ultra-processed foods, which may change the gut microbiome. As the gut microbiome is unique, any alterations may be associated with disease. This review study aimed to highlight how ultra-processing can affect the gut microbiome and its impact on the development of disease to better inform dietary guidelines. Associations between poor health outcomes and ultra-processed foods have been shown with processed meats, refined grains, and processed fish. Traditionally research has focussed on added salt, sugar and fat, however processed foods may contain or be processed in a way that promotes disease. Gut microbial changes can be driven by diet, which could be detrimental, permanent, and inheritable. Food processing such as heat treatment, and additives such as sweeteners and emulsifiers can all alter the gut microbiota, however these do not need to undergo microbiome testing before being approved for consumption. Effects of ultra-processed foods on the gut microbiome need to be extensively investigated in terms of health outcomes to better inform dietary guidelines. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to better understand how ultra-processed foods play a part in diseases beyond that of added salt, fat and sugar and that the microbiome has a pivotal role.
Abstract
The dietary pattern that characterizes the Western diet is strongly associated with obesity and related metabolic diseases, but biological mechanisms supporting these associations remain largely unknown. We argue that the Western diet promotes inflammation that arises from both structural and behavioral changes in the resident microbiome. The environment created in the gut by ultra-processed foods, a hallmark of the Western diet, is an evolutionarily unique selection ground for microbes that can promote diverse forms of inflammatory disease. Recognizing the importance of the microbiome in the development of diet-related disease has implications for future research, public dietary advice as well as food production practices. Research into food patterns suggests that whole foods are a common denominator of diets associated with a low level of diet-related disease. Hence, by studying how ultra-processing changes the properties of whole foods and how these foods affect the gut microbiome, more useful dietary guidelines can be made. Innovations in food production should be focusing on enabling health in the super-organism of man and microbe, and stronger regulation of potentially hazardous components of food products is warranted.