A latest study published within the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that ultra-processed-food (UPF) consumption precipitated premature deaths in Brazil. Thus, discouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods would promote considerable health gains on this population and may additionally aid in reducing premature mortality.

Background

Study: Premature Deaths Attributable to the Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods in Brazil. Image Credit: Celso Pupo/Shutterstock

The Global Burden of Diseases approximated that inappropriate weight loss program and malnutrition claimed an estimated 188 million disability-adjusted life-years and nearly eight million lives. 

There’s a world rise in processed food consumption, especially in developing and developed countries. Processing of foods increases their availability, transportability, shelf-life, and digestibility. These foods have high energy density and low dietary value. 

Processed foods have been categorized as ultra-processed (UPFs) foods; the intense category is derivatives from other foods (with little or no whole food, if present) with added colours, flavors, and emulsifiers. These additives make foods palatable, inexpensive, and convenient. 

UPFs are wealthy in salt, fats, and sugars and will be contaminated during biological, physical, and chemical processing while the food item is ready with additives and packaging substances.

Poor dietary intake is a number one reason for global economic and health burdens. Recent studies have demonstrated that consumption of UPFs is related to a high risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), like obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. That is because of the lesser dietary quality of such foods, the high glycemic a great deal of such foods, low satiety potential, higher additive quantities, and the presence of contaminants. 

Nonetheless, studies depicting the consequences of increased ultra-processed food consumption remain lacking. In line with a survey, the contribution of ultra-processed food to the whole energy intake in Brazil increased by 5.1% inside 16 years. 

The study

This recent study estimated premature death occurrences in Brazil because of ultra-processed food intake. A macrosimulation model was developed for comparative risk assessment to estimate the number and proportion of premature deaths because of any cause. These fatalities could likely be prevented by decreasing UPFs’ contribution to your complete energy uptake to a minimum risk level (theoretically; no intake of UPF) and by decreasing UPFs contribution to varied counterfactual consumption scenarios. 

The approach comprised three stages, the baseline UPFs intake was estimated by age group and sex using the Brazil dietary survey (POF-National Household Budget Survey 2017-18), the reduction in UPFs intake in every counter-facial scenario based on the patient’s gender and age group and using comparative risk assessment evaluation to estimate the consequences of reduced intake of UPFs.

The Brazilian adults were divided into eight age groups based on their gender. The beverage and food consumption were collected through two episodes of 24-hour recollection of food intake from the Personal Food intake module of POF 2017-18. All of the beverages and foods were classified into 4 categories based on the NOVA classification. The proportions of ultra-processed food to the entire energy intake were analyzed.

Results 

It was observed that the UPF consumption habit decreased with age. On average, UPFs contributed no less than 13% of whole energy intake in all ages group. While 541,160 people between 30 to 69 years of age died prematurely within the yr 2019, out of which 261,061 deaths occurred from preventable noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). 

Meanwhile, 62% of the mortality occurred amongst males. In the identical yr, nearly 57,000 deaths were attributed to UPFs consumption.

Adults of the age-range 50-69 years suffered the very best mortality rate – 66% in males and 73% in females. The population attributable fractions (PAF) were relatively higher amongst the kids and younger adults of each sexes.

It was projected that a discount in the share of UPFs to total energy consumption by 50%, 20%, and 10% could postpone or prevent annual premature deaths by 29300, 12000, and 5900 respectively. In truth, if UPF consumption was curtailed such that it’s below the fourth quartile of the baseline contribution of UPF to total energy intake, nearly 19,900 deaths might be averted; out of this 60% could be males. 

The authors also identified that reducing UPF consumption multiple interventions and public health awareness programs and planning. Promoting healthy food environments – which can include regulating food marketing and implementing dietary labeling, is essential to discouraging UPF intake. 

Conclusion 

The findings may project the impact of processed food consumption on preventable deaths. Regulatory policies must be implemented to limit the consumption of UPFs, along with spreading awareness amongst the overall population in regards to the uncomfortable side effects of processed foods and implementing dietary guidelines.

Considering the various impacts of ultra-processed foods on health, a disease-specific approach wouldn’t specify the whole disease burden of UPFs. Further studies are warranted to explore the impacts of UPFs on public health in order that proper food guidelines could be strictly implemented.