Researchers looked at the impact of a range of “plant-based” ultra-processed foods on your health, which confirmed other findings that link processed foods to health problems. An increasing number of studies are finding links between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and higher risks of health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. A team of researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil and the Imperial College London in the UK looked specifically at heavily processed "plant-based" foods’ impact on cardiovascular risk.
They analysed the data of nearly 120,000 people from the UK Biobank who were on average 55 years old. When the diet was richer in plant-based unprocessed food such as fruits, vegetables, cereals or nuts, the risks were reduced. A ten per cent increase in such ingredients was associated with a seven per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and an eight per cent reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
Non-animal-based ultra-processed food consumption, however, was associated with a five per cent increased risk of cardiovascular disease and 12 per cent higher mortality. UPFs in general were linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk and mortality as well. “We have yet another strong argument to encourage the reduction of ultra-processed food consumption, regardless of whether it is of animal or plant origin,” Dr Renata Levy, one of the study’s authors and a professor at the University of São Paulo, said in a stat.
