The American Heart Association’s latest advisory underscores the detrimental health impacts of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), urging a shift towards healthier dietary patterns to combat rising chronic illnesses.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a new Science Advisory highlighting the health risks associated with ultraprocessed foods (UPFs). The advisory, published in the journal Circulation, outlines how the increasing consumption of UPFs is linked to adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes, including heart attacks, strokes, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
“Most UPFs, particularly those that dominate US dietary patterns, can be easily identified by consumers as “junk” food. They are characterized by poor nutritional quality; typically are high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium (HFSS); and have excessive calories, which contribute to adverse health outcomes through multiple biological pathways,” the advisory notes.
The rise in UPF consumption has disrupted traditional eating patterns, with an estimated 70% of grocery store products in the United States containing at least one ultraprocessed ingredient.
According to a CDC report, UPFs account for a staggering 55% of total calorie intake among Americans aged 1 and older, with even higher percentages among younger populations and lower-income families.
“The relationship between UPFs and health is complex and multifaceted,” Maya K. Vadiveloo, volunteer chair of the writing group for this Science Advisory, said in a news release. “We know that eating foods with too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt is unhealthy. What we don’t know is if certain ingredients or processing techniques make a food unhealthy above and beyond their poor nutritional composition. And if certain additives and processing steps used to make healthier food like commercial whole grain breads have any health impact.”
UPFs are convenient and affordable, making them a staple in many diets, particularly in under-resourced communities. However, they often displace healthier alternatives, leading to a reduction in overall nutritional quality in typical U.S. eating patterns.
The advisory stresses that some ultraprocessed foods, like certain commercial whole grains and low-fat-low-sugar dairy products, have better nutritional profiles and can be included in a healthy diet.
The advisory calls for multilevel strategies to combat the negative health impacts of UPFs, including:
- More research to uncover how UPFs impact the body;
- Refined dietary guidelines to discourage the consumption of nutrient-poor UPFs;
- Evidence-based policies to regulate and evaluate food additives.
“More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of how UPFs impact health. In the meantime, the Association continues to urge people to cut back on the most harmful UPFs that are high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium, and excessive calories and instead follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains, low-fat-low-sugar dairy, and lean proteins like fish, seafood or poultry — for better short- and long-term health,” added Vadiveloo.
The rapid growth in UPF consumption since the 1990s has called for urgent attention. The AHA advisory aims to increase awareness and inform both health care professionals and the public about the necessity of reducing UPF intake and shifting towards healthier dietary patterns for improved cardiometabolic health outcomes.
Source: American Heart Association