Each additional 100 grams consumption of ultra-processed foods daily could be associated with a 14% increased chance of cardiovascular events, according to a study.

Every 10% increase in weight per energy intake due to ultra processed foods was associated with a 16% greater risk of metabolic syndromes or diabetes, findings published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health showed.

Researchers, including those from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, analysed data from 51 studies from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, involving more than 88 lakh participants -- on average aged 23-77 -- with follow-ups ranging between 2 and 32 years.

Eating a lot of ultra processed foods was associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events (24%), cancer (12%) and obesity or overweight (23%).

Consumption of the energy-dense, high-on-sugar and salt products was also related with a higher chance of metabolic syndrome or diabetes (24%), depression and anxiety (27%), digestive diseases (31%), high blood pressure (11%) and death from any cause (18%).

Ultra processed foods are ready-to-eat or heat-and-serve products that have undergone extensive industrial processing. They are low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

“Dose-response analyses demonstrated each additional 100 (grams per day) intake was associated with 11% higher hypertension risk, 14% higher cardiovascular events risk, 4% higher cancer risk, and 3% higher all-cause mortality; each 10% increase in weight (per) energy intake was associated with a 16% higher MetS (or) diabetes risk,” the authors wrote.

Emerging evidence suggests that a combination of multiple additives may exert a ‘cocktail effect’ on human health, they said.

The team added that lab studies have shown that the extensively altered physical composition of ultra processed foods may adversely affect the gut microbiome, and promote inflammation and insulin resistance, among other things.

Several compounds that may form during food processing, such as acrylamide -- a contaminant formed in heat-treated processed foods -- and acrolein, generated during fat heating, have been associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, they said.

"Given that UPF related chronic diseases often cluster as multimorbidity, reducing consumption of UPFs (ultra processed foods) and replacing them with minimally processed alternatives may be relevant for chronic disease prevention and primary care management," the authors said. PTI