A new study examines the impact of ultra-processed foods on health, drawing on meta-analytic analyses. It highlights the risks associated with high consumption of these products. The results underline the importance of reducing their consumption as much as possible to preserve our health.
A recent study examined how eating ultra-processed foods could affect our health. The goal was to gather and analyze all the research already published on this topic to see if there is a link between the consumption of these types of foods and the development of health problems. The results were published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ).
To carry out this study, the researchers carried out a systematic review. Which means they thoroughly reviewed existing meta-analyses. These analyzes combine the results of several studies to see if there are general trends. The types of studies considered were varied, ranging from cohort studies, where people are followed over a long period of time, to case-control and cross-sectional studies, which provide a snapshot at a single point in time or compare groups of people with and without certain conditions.
To judge the reliability of their findings, the researchers used a specific grading system, ranging from convincing evidence to no evidence, as well as the Grade framework, which rates the quality of evidence from high to very low. This allowed them to critically assess the strength and quality of the associations between consumption of ultra-processed foods and health problems.
Revealing results
Of 45 pooled analyzes reviewed, a large majority showed that eating lots of ultra-processed foods is linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetesdiabetes, anxiety, and even premature death. These links were particularly strong and convincing for certain conditions, such as cardiovascular illnessescardiovascular illnesses and type 2 diabetes, where risk increases with the amount of ultra-processed foods consumed.
The main conclusion of this study is unsurprising and very clear: there is a significant link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of several serious health problems. This raises important questions about the impact of our diet on our health and highlights lightlight the need for public health policies to reduce the consumption of these products. Firstly, it is necessary to inform the population so that consumers can buy with full knowledge of the facts and make informed choices.
