New Delhi, July 9
Even in moderation, consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked with measurable increases in risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancers, according to research.
The study showed that low but regular intake of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and trans fatty acids (TFAs) can increase the risk of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and colorectal cancer.
While the risks have long been known, systematic characterisation of the dose-response relationships between these foods and health outcomes is limited, said the researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
In the paper published in the journal Nature Medicine, the team showed that consumption of processed meat between 0.6 grams and 57 grams daily can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes by at least 11 per cent compared with no consumption.
For colorectal cancer, the risk was 7 per cent higher for consumption between 0.78 grams per day and 55 grams per day. The relative risk of IHD was estimated at 1.15 at 50 grams per day intake.
Further, an intake of sugar-sweetened beverage intake between 1.5 and 390 grams daily was found to raise the average risk of type 2 diabetes by 8 per cent.
Intake between 0 and 365 grams per day was associated with a 2 per cent higher average risk of IHD.