The Role of Diet Quality in Mediating the Association between Ultra-Processed Food Intake, Obesity and Health-Related Outcomes: A Review of Prospective Cohort Studies

Dicken, Samuel J; Batterham, Rachel L.

doi:10.3390/nu14010023

Cited by 140 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 154 publications

(358 reference statements)

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“…The high rates of excess negative nutrients across these diverse NPMs are likely related to the high proportion of UPFs. Studies have shown that UPFs are associated with overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and mortality [6,7,44]. The negative impact on health may be associated with the poor nutritional quality of UPFs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Quality of Pre-Packaged Foods in China under Various Nutrient Profile Models

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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This study used various nutrient profile models (NPMs) to evaluate the nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods in China to inform future food policy development. Nutrition data for pre-packaged foods were collected through FoodSwitch China in 2017–2020. The analyses included 73,885 pre-packaged foods, including 8236 beverages and 65,649 foods. Processed foods (PFs) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) accounted for 8222 (11.4%) and 47,003 (63.6%) of all products, respectively. Among the 55,425 PFs and UPFs, the overall proportion of products with an excessive quantity of at least one negative nutrient was 86.0% according to the Chilean NPM (2019), 83.3% for the Pan American Health Organization NPM (PAHO NPM), and 90.6% for the Western Pacific Region NPM for protecting children from food marketing (WPHO NPM), respectively. In all NPMs, 70.4% of PFs and UPFs were identified as containing an excessive quantity of at least one negative nutrient, with higher proportions of UPFs compared to PFs. Food groups exceeding nutrient thresholds in most NPMs included snack foods, meat and meat products, bread and bakery products, non-alcoholic beverages, confectionery, and convenience foods. In conclusion, PFs and UPFs accounted for three-fourths of pre-packaged foods in China, and the majority of PFs and UPFs exceeded the threshold for at least one negative nutrient under all three NPMs. Given the need to prevent obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases, efforts are warranted to improve the healthiness of foods in China through evidence-based food policy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Quality of Pre-Packaged Foods in China under Various Nutrient Profile Models

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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“…Lastly, it is noteworthy that the association between UPF and VAT in our population remained after adjustment for both dietary factors and BMI. Whether the associations between UPF and health outcomes are mediated by overall diet quality or not is actively debated, but overall, the associations appear to be robust when adjusting for both nutrients (e.g., saturated fat, sugars, sodium) and dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet) ( 32 ). The underlying mechanisms driving this association is unclear and warrants further investigation ( 33 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intake of Ultra-Processed Food and Ectopic-, Visceral- and Other Fat Depots: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2022

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IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate associations between intake of ultra-processed food (UPF) and liver fat, pancreas fat and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) but also subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), VAT/SAT ratio and total fat mass.Materials and MethodsCross-sectional analysis of n = 286 50-year old men and women. Energy percentage (%E) from UPF was calculated from a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Food items were categorized according to the NOVA-classification system and fat depots were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Associations were analyzed using linear regression, adjusted for sex, education, physical activity, smoking, dietary factors and BMI.ResultsMean intake of UPF was 37.8 ± 10.2 %E and the three largest contributors to this were crisp- and wholegrain breads and spreads, indicating overall healthy food choices. Consumption of UPF was associated with higher intake of energy, carbohydrates and fiber and lower intake of protein and polyunsaturated fat but no differences were observed for total fat, saturated fat (SFA), monounsaturated fat, sugar or alcohol between tertiles of UPF. Intake of UPF was positively associated with liver- and pancreas fat, VAT, VAT/SAT and inversely associated with total fat mass in crude models. The association for VAT remained after full adjustment (β = 0.01 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.02), P = 0.02) and was driven by women.ConclusionEnergy intake from UPF is not associated with ectopic fat, SAT or total fat after adjustment for multiple confounders in this population having overall healthy food habits. However, a positive association between UPF and VAT was observed which was driven by women.

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“…In 2010, Monteiro and colleagues [11] established a system known as "NOVA". Since then, it has become the most widely used system in the research field [2,6,12].…”

Section: An Overview Of Ultra-processed Foodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus: A Mini-Review

et al. 2022

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Studying the factors that cause diabetes and conducting clinical trials has become a priority, particularly raising awareness of the dangers of the disease and how to overcome it. Diet habits are one of the most important risks that must be understood and carefully applied to reduce the risk of diabetes. Nowadays, consuming enough home-cooked food has become a challenge, particularly with modern life performance, pushing people to use processed foods. Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has grown dramatically over the last few decades worldwide. This growth is accompanied by the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. UPFs represent three main health concerns: (i) they are generally high in non-nutritive compounds such as sugars, sodium, and trans fat and low in nutritional compounds such as proteins and fibers, (ii) they contain different types of additives that may cause severe health issues, and (iii) they are presented in packages made of synthetic materials that may also cause undesirable health side-effects. The association between the consumption of UPF and the risk of developing diabetes was discussed in this review. The high consumption of UPF, almost more than 10% of the diet proportion, could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adult individuals. In addition, UPF may slightly increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. Further efforts are needed to confirm this association; studies such as randomized clinical trials and prospective cohorts in different populations and settings are highly recommended. Moreover, massive improvement in foods’ dietary guidelines to increase the awareness of UPF and their health concerns is highly recommended.

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The Role of Diet Quality in Mediating the Association between Ultra-Processed Food Intake, Obesity and Health-Related Outcomes: A Review of Prospective Cohort Studies

Cited by 140 publications

References 154 publications

Nutritional Quality of Pre-Packaged Foods in China under Various Nutrient Profile Models

Nutritional Quality of Pre-Packaged Foods in China under Various Nutrient Profile Models

Intake of Ultra-Processed Food and Ectopic-, Visceral- and Other Fat Depots: A Cross-Sectional Study

Relationship between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus: A Mini-Review

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