Ultra-Processed Foods Increase Risk of a Second Heart Attack

High consumption of ultra-processed foods can increases the risk of a second heart attack or a fatal stroke. Follow a balanced diet early in life to prevent heart attacks or stroke. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables and low amounts of processed products.

Highlights:

Ultra-processed foods might taste good, but are bad for health
Consuming highly processed foods can not only lead to heart attack, but also to second heart attack
Following a Mediterranean diet and consuming too many ultra-processed foods can increase your health risks

High consumption of ultra-processed foods can put you at higher risk of a second heart attack or a fatal stroke, especially in those who have already had a heart condition, reveals a new study.//

Ultra-processed foods are a major public health concern for their potential adverse effects on health. Now a study by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli (Italy) explores the health effects of a large dietary share of ultra-processed food on people already suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

‘Follow a balanced diet early in life to prevent heart attacks or stroke. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables and low amounts of processed products.’

The findings indicate a higher risk of a second heart attack (or stroke), this time fatal. Moreover, another observation emerges from this study: even in people generally following the Mediterranean diet, but consuming too many ultra-processed foods, health risks are higher.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, the European Society of Cardiology journal, followed 1,171 people participating in the Moli-sani epidemiological project for over 10 years.

All of them already had cardiovascular disease at the time of inclusion in the study.

Ultra-processed Foods Have Environmental Implications
A nutrition transition towards diet higher in ultra-processed foods has been the largest contributor to worsening impacts on greenhouse gas emissions.

Regarding the diet followed by participants, the researchers focused on the consumption of ultra-processed foods, made in part or entirely with substances not routinely used in cooking (hydrolyzed proteins, maltodextrins, hydrogenated fats, for example) and which generally contain various additives, such as dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, anticaking agents, flavor enhancers, and sweeteners.

This category includes sugary and carbonated drinks, pre-packaged meals, spreads, and some apparently “unsuspected” products, such as rusks, breakfast cereals, crackers, and fruit yoghurt.

Eating Too Much of Ultra-processed Foods can Lower Your Heart Health
If you are eating too much ultra-processed foods, its time to say no to them because eating fast food can put you at risk of heart disease. Ultra-processed foods are often high in salt, added sugars, saturated fat and other substances that increase the risk of heart disease.

These foods were classified using the NOVA system, which rates foods according to the degree of processing rather than on their nutritional value.

"We saw" – explains Marialaura Bonaccio, researcher at the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention and first author of the study – "that people with a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods have a two-thirds increased risk of a second heart attack or stroke, this time fatal, compared to participants eating these foods less frequently."

How Much Ultra-Processed Foods Do Kids and Teens Consume?
Ultra-processed food consumption is high among kids & teenagers. Too much consumption of these foods can cause early diabetes, obesity, and other serious medical conditions, such as certain cancers.

"The probability of dying from any cause is also 40% higher. It is important to underline that the definition of ultra-processed food is not linked to the nutritional content, but rather to the process used for its preparation and storage."

"In other words, even if a food is nutritionally balanced, it might still be considered ultra-processed. Clearly, it is not the single food consumed occasionally that makes the difference, rather a diet that, as a whole, contains too many products coming from supermarket shelves. A diet based on the consumption of fresh, minimally processed products should be always preferred, as the Mediterranean tradition has been teaching us for centuries".

“This study" – says Licia Iacoviello – director of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention at Neuromed – "conveys an important message: it is time to overcome the distinction between healthy and unhealthy food solely on the basis of the nutrient value."

In other words, a person could follow a Mediterranean diet, perhaps rich in legumes or vegetables, a healthy diet we would say. But the simple definition of ’Mediterranean’ does not tell us ’how’ those foods were prepared. Fresh vegetables are not the same as pre-cooked and seasoned vegetables, and the same goes for many other foods. It is a factor to be increasingly considered when advising citizens about proper nutrition."

"Our proposal is that the level of industrial processing of foods should be added to the front-of-pack labels, which until now only provide nutritional information".

Source-Eurekalert