They entered our diets because they are tasty and easy to prepare. However, ultra-processed foods can have negative health effects. The latest confirmation comes from a study, coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, which observed that as the consumption of ultra-processed foods increases, the risk of simultaneously developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Ultra-processed foods are “industrially manufactured products that comprise deconstructed and modified food components, recombined with a variety of additives,” the researchers explain. Their diffusion has increased throughout the world and “now represent 50-60% of daily energy intake in some high-income countries”.
The research analyzed data from a large European research project called Epic (European countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) to verify whether there is a relationship between consumption of these foods and multimorbidity, i.e. the appearance of at least two chronic diseases: specifically, at least two of them: cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. From the evaluation of data from 266 thousand participants followed for over 11 years, it emerged that for every increase of 260 grams per day in ultra-processed foods there was a 9% increase in multiple diseases. The risk, however, is not the same for all products: products and sauces of animal origin and sweet drinks increase the chance of getting sick. On the contrary, no risk has been observed for those who consume ultra-processed products of plant origin.
Among the countries involved in the study, Italy is, after Spain, the one in which the consumption of ultra-processed foods is lowest: on average 207 grams per day for men and 183 for women. The highest consumption is recorded in the Netherlands for men and in Germany for women.
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