Study: Measurable inflammation through highly processed foods

Study: Measurable inflammation through highly processed foods

The present study is to examine the connection between the consumption of highly processed food and biomarkers for inflammation, especially the highly sensitive C reactive protein (HS-CRP). It is an observation study by the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, in which over 2,000 participants aged 40 to 69 were involved. The results showed that higher consumption of highly processed food was associated with an increased concentration of HS-CRP, regardless of the body mass index (BMI) or the gender of the participants. These results contribute to existing findings that show a connection between highly processed foods and chronic diseases as well as increased mortality. The authors therefore recommend taking measures to restrict the consumption of highly processed foods and to improve access to nutrient -rich foods to promote public health.

Details of the study:

reference

lane mm, Lotfaliany M, Forbes M, et al. A higher consumption of high-quality food is associated with a higher concentration of highly sensitive C-reactive protein in adults: cross-sectional results of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. nutrients . 2022; 14 (16): 3309.

study goal

to determine whether high-quality foods are connected to biomarkers for inflammation, especially highly sensitive C-reactive protein (HS-CRP).

Key to take away

The intake of highly processed food was connected by 4 % with an increase in the HS CRP, and this connection occurred independently of the body mass index (BMI) or gender.

Design

Observatory of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS)

participant

between 1990 and 1994 41,500 people (24,500 women and 17,000 men) aged 40 to 69 (average age 57 years) were recruited for participation in the MCCS.

The participants came from a sample of the MCC, for which valid basic nutrition data and plasma HS-CRP measurements were available.

The authors exclude participants in which HS-CRP data was missing and their total energy intake (KJ/day) below 1 LAG st perennil or above the 99 th perennil or an HS-CRP concentration over 99 ^{th percentile.}

Ultimately, 2,018 participants for the analysis remained, including both the group with deaths from cardiovascular diseases (n = 632) as cases as well as the random sample of all participants (n = 1,386) from the original MCCS project as a sub-cobort

study parameters

The study parameters included a variety of socio -demographic characteristics such as age, gender, country of birth, marital status, the highest level of education and socio -economic indices.

As a covariat, the researchers also evaluated lifestyle and health -related behaviors such as smoking status, physical leisure activities in the past 6 months and alcohol consumption. Anthropometric data such as size and weight were measured to determine the BMI. They also collected nutritional information using a questionnaire to the frequency of food that was specially created for this multi -ethnic cohort.

primary result of results

The researchers examined the connection between the HS-CRP concentration (MG/L) and the absorption of highly processed foods in accordance with the classification by the Nova food classification system.

most important knowledge

With every 100 g increase in the intake of highly processed foods, the HS-CRP increase by 4.0 %(95 %KI: 2.1–5.9 %). p <0.001) and this seemed independent of the BMI. There was no difference between the sexes.

transparency

There was no external financing for this study.

effects on practice

With the increasing distribution of highly processed foods in the Australian diet, which is associated with the increasing spread of chronic diseases and increased mortality, there have been considerable concerns about public health.

While some previous studies with Brazilian subjects showed a direct cross -sectional context between the consumption of highly processed food and the concentration of inflammatory cytokines, the authors of the study examined here find that the socio -demographic features of the participants were associated with lower socio -demographic characteristics. In the Brazilian sample of young people, high -processed foods contributed 26 % to the total daily energy consumption compared to 40 % in the current study.

In the current study, the authors found that HS-CRP increased with increasing intake of highly processed food. Tests to change the effect by gender did not provide any evidence of an interaction. The authors point out that “in view of the underrepresentation of women compared to men in our study (37.5 % women were women), it is possible that we did not have sufficient opportunities to recognize this interaction.”

In the Brazilian sample of young people, high -processed foods contributed 26 % to the total daily energy consumption compared to 40 % in the current study.

These results are in accordance with current systematic overviews and meta -analyzes, which show a direct connection between the accommodation of highly processed foods and the prevalence and incidence of frequent chronic non -transferable diseases, morbidity and mortality that include all inflammation as part of their pathophysiology. Conversely, nutritional values ​​that measure the compliance with a healthy or Mediterranean diet - rich in fruit, vegetables, fat fish, poultry, native olive oil extra and whole grain - in cross -sectional analyzes are associated with inflammatory biomarkers. Also with an earlier meta -analysis of intervention studies that shows that Mediterranean diets with a higher proportion of unprocessed or minimally processed food were anti -inflammatory.

It is possible that political measures that restrict the production, sales and food intake of highly processed foods reduce their consumption.

Ultimately, these results, along with the results of several other studies, underline how important access is both to nutrient -rich foods and medical staff, which can give advice on healthy nutritional decisions and behavior and thus have a direct impact on reducing morbidity and mortality.

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