The Université de Montréal researcher who led the study says it is the first in Canada to link increased consumption of processed foods with chronic diseases.
Ultra-processed foods include chicken nuggets, fries, soft drinks and sweetened breakfast cereals. Getty Images
A new study by the Heart and Stroke Foundation shows that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods is associated with obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which represent risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Ultra-processed foods contain little to no whole food. They are high in calories, sugars, sodium and saturated fat. Typical examples of ultra-processed foods include potato chips, candies, ice cream and sweet breakfast cereals.
According to the study, adults who consume high amounts of ultra-processed food are 31 per cent more likely to develop obesity, 37 per cent more likely to suffer from diabetes and 60 per cent more likely to experience high blood pressure.
Lead author Jean-Claude Moubarac, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Université de Montréal, says this is the first study in Canada to link the increased consumption of processed foods with the prevalence of several chronic diseases.
The research is based on data from a 2015 survey from Statistics Canada that found ultra-processed foods account for 47 per cent of daily calories consumed by Canadian adults. According to previous research conducted by Moubarac, the numbers are even more alarming for kids between the ages of 9 and 13, as 60 per cent of their daily calorie intake is derived from ultra-processed foods.
To mitigate the consumption of ultra-processed food among children, the Heart and Stroke Foundation advocates tighter guidelines on nutrition labeling, as well as restrictions on advertisement directed to younger audiences.