Ultra-processed foods could potentially become the new 'silent' killer

Ultra-processed foods, termed the new “silent killer”, range from fizzy drinks to cereals and packaged snacks to processed meat, and are packed with additives like oil, fat, sugar, starch, sodium, and emulsifiers such as carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides, carboxymethylcellulose, polysorbate, and soy lecithin, often strip away nutrients and potentially harm human health.

The study conducted by Physicians from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and published in The American Journal of Medicine provides important insights about the harmful effects of ultra-processed foods and the myriad of diseases it causes such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, a variety of cancers, and even mental health disorders.

"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., senior author, an associate professor and chair, Department of Medicine, and director of the internal medicine residency program, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. "Therefore, even if few additives are 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."

Public health organizations increasingly utilize the NOVA classification system, categorizing foods into whole foods, culinary ingredients, traditionally processed foods, and ultra-processed foods which are industrially made with non-kitchen ingredients, and pose risks due to undigested additives like emulsifiers. These additives could help harmful gut bacteria, potentially leading to a disrupted microbiome in susceptible individuals.

"Additives, such as maltodextrin, may promote a mucous layer that is friendly to certain species of bacteria that are found in greater abundance in patients with inflammatory bowel disease," said Dawn H. Sherling, M.D., corresponding author, associate program director for the internal medicine residency and an associate professor of medicine, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. "When the mucous layer is not properly maintained, the epithelial cell layer may become vulnerable to injury, as has been shown in feeding studies using carrageenan in humans and other studies in mice models, using polysorbate-80 and cellulose gum, triggering immunologic responses in the host."

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

References: 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