Ultra-Processed Foods Could Be the New ‘Silent’ Killer

Hundreds of novel ingredients never encountered by human physiology are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult’s diet and nearly 70 percent of children’s diets in the United States.

While obesity and lack of physical activity are well recognized contributors to avoidable morbidity and mortality in the U.S., another emerging hazard is the unprecedented consumption of these ultra-processed foods in the standard American diet. This may be the new “silent” killer, as was unrecognized high blood pressure in previous decades.

Physicians explored this hypothesis and provided important insights to health care providers in a battle where the entertainment industry, the food industry and public policy do not align with their patients’ needs. 

Although professional organizations such as the American College of Cardiology cautions patients to “choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods” in their 2021 dietary guidelines, there is a caveat that “there is no commonly accepted definition for ultra-processed foods, and some healthy foods may exist within the ultra-processed food category.”

“When the components of a food are contained within a natural, whole food matrix, they are digested more slowly and more inefficiently, resulting in less calorie extraction, lower glycemic loads in general, and lower rise in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins after eating, which could result in atherosclerotic plaque,” said Allison H. Ferris, M.D. “Therefore, even if the troublesome additives were removed from the ultra-processed food, there would still be concern for an over-consumption of these products possibly leading to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”

According to the authors, one plausible mechanism to explain the hazards is that ultra-processed foods contain emulsifiers and other additives that the mammalian gastrointestinal tract mostly does not digest. They may act as a food source for our microbiota, and as such may be creating a dysbiotic microbiome that can, in the right host, promote disease.

The authors add that there have been marked increases in colorectal cancer in the U.S., especially among younger adults. They opine that increased ultra-processed food consumption may be a contributor as well as to several other gastrointestinal diseases.

“Whether ultra-processed foods contribute to our currently rising rates of non-communicable disease requires direct testing in analytic studies designed a priori to do so,” said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D. “In the meantime, we believe it is incumbent upon all health care professionals to discuss the benefits of increasing consumption of whole foods and reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods with their patients.”

The authors also opine that just as the dangers of tobacco began to emerge during the middle of the prior century, decades passed before the preponderance of the evidence and the efforts of forward-thinking health officials prompted policy change to discourage the use of cigarettes. They say there is likely to be a similar path for ultra-processed foods.

Sources:

Dawn Harris Sherling, Charles H. Hennekens, Allison H. Ferris. Newest updates to health providers on the hazards of ultra-processed foods and proposed solutions. The American Journal of Medicine, 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.02.001

Materials provided by Florida Atlantic University. Original written by Gisele Galoustian. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Florida Atlantic University. “Could ultra-processed foods be the new ‘silent’ killer?.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 February 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240220144443.htm>.

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