Hot-dogs and sodas and frozen meals, ultra-transformed foods (UPF) have become a significant part of the US diet. Researchers believe that these foods now represent around 70% of what people in the United States eat.
These products contain many additional ingredients – such as artificial flavors, preservatives and sugar or additional salt – to make them better, better to be higher and last longer.
While scientists have long known that sugar-rich diets, unhealthy fats and sodium contribute to heart disease, recent research suggests that the UPFs themselves can present a direct risk for heart health, even beyond their nutritional content.
Stronger evidence connecting UPF to heart disease
A recent large-scale study, one of the most complete to date, has examined more than 200,000 people in the United States and has examined health data of 1.2 million people worldwide. The results have shown a clear link between the consumption of upfs and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. More specifically, people who consumed the most upfs had:
17% higher risk of heart disease
23% higher risk of coronary disease (a condition that can cause heart attacks)
9% higher risk of stroke
These results, published by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), add to growing concerns about how processed foods can harm the body.
Not all ultra-transformed foods are equal
The study also revealed that some UPFs are worse than others with regard to heart health. Sugar drinks, transformed meats (such as cold meats and hot dogs) and other strongly refined foods were linked to the highest risk.
On the other hand, certain ultra-treble foods, such as breakfast cereals, yogurt and certain whole grain products, have shown a lower risk.
This suggests that if all UPFs share certain common features, specific ingredients and treatment methods can play a key role in their health effects.
Why are the UPFs harmful?
Scientists are now trying to understand exactly why UPF increases the risk of heart disease. Several possible explanations emerge:
Surraling and weight gain – a small but well -controlled clinical trial revealed that when people ate a diet rich in upfs, they consumed more calories and gained much more weight than when they have eaten a diet with little processed food. This happened even when the two regimes had the same number of available calories. Suroralimentation is a major risk factor for obesity, which in turn increases the probability of heart disease.
Inflammation and intestinal health – Some UPFs can trigger inflammation in the body, disturb the intestinal microbiome (collecting bacteria in our digestive system) and weaken the immune system. These factors have all been linked to heart disease.
Harmful additives – Many UPFs contain ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, sodium nitrite and artificial dyes, which have been linked to metabolic disorders, blood pressure and even certain cancers.
Long -term structural inequalities – low -income communities often consume more UPF due to limited access to fresh and healthy foods and the higher cost of nutrients. This has contributed to health disparities, low -income populations with higher rates of heart disease and other chronic diseases.
What can we do?
Experts agree that the reduction in UPF consumption is a critical step towards better heart health. Alison Brown, researcher at the National Institute of the Heart, Lung and Blood (NHLBI), underlines that even if it may not be realistic to completely eliminate UPF, small changes can make a big difference. She recommends:
Read food labels carefully to check hidden additives and excessive sugar or sodium.
Choose whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and lean proteins as often as possible.
Limit transformed meats and sugary drinks, which have the strongest links with heart disease.
Follow cardiac health food plans such as the Dash diet, which emphasizes natural foods and minimum transformation.
Ahead
Additional research is necessary to fully understand the impact of the UPFS on the body and which ingredients or treatment methods are the most harmful. NIH scientists plan to conduct additional clinical trials to discover the biological mechanisms behind the health risks linked to the UPF.
While the UPF concerns continue to grow, experts say that consumers and decision -makers must take measures. If researchers can identify the worst ingredients or treatment methods, food manufacturers can be encouraged to create healthier alternatives.
In the meantime, individuals can reduce their contribution of highly processed foods and prioritize a diet rich in whole natural ingredients to support long -term heart health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies on how egg consumption can help reduce the risk of heart disease, and vitamin K2 could help reduce the risk of heart disease.
For more information on heart health, please consult recent studies on how to eliminate plates that cause heart attacks and results showing a new way of preventing heart attacks, strokes.
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