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The ultra-processed foods your child eats now may increase their risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes as adults, new research suggests.
“One of the important things to learn is that some of the things we’re dealing with in the adult world are likely to start very early in life,” says Pediatric Cardiologist and Cardiologist. said Dr. Stuart Berger, head of the department. and American Academy of Pediatrics Division of Cardiac Surgery. He was not involved in the study.
The study was published on Friday JAMA Network Open analyzed data from more than 1,400 children ages 3 to 6 from schools in seven Spanish cities.
According to the study, the children’s caregivers met in person with researchers from 2019 to 2022 and completed questionnaires about physical activity, dietary intake, and demographics at home.
The researchers divided the data from the children into three groups based on the amount of ultra-processed foods they ate. Children who consumed the most ultra-processed foods were more likely to have risk factors such as higher body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and waist-to-height ratio, the study showed.
ultra-processed foods According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, they are those that contain “ingredients that are never or rarely used in the kitchen, or types of additives intended to make the final product tastier and more appealing.”
These ingredients, found in soda, potato chips, packaged soups, chicken nuggets, ice cream, etc., include preservatives to protect against mold and bacteria, artificial colors, emulsifiers to stop separation, and enhance the flavor of the food. May contain added or modified sugars, salt and fat. attractive.
“Americans eat ultra-processed foods every day,” says Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and health at National Jewish Health in Denver. He was not involved in the study.
A study published on May 8 found that groups of Americans ate at least three servings of ultra-processed foods a day, with one group eating an average of seven servings a day. Research has shown.
Although many studies have shown that ultra-processed foods have negative effects on the health of adults, Friday’s study is one of the first to show the effects of ultra-processed foods on the cardiometabolic health of young children. said Berger, who is also the Anne & Robert Professor of Pediatrics. He is at H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
“This particular topic of ultra-processed food consumption and risks is a very important topic for children,” he said.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The ultra-processed foods that children are currently eating may have lasting effects, new research suggests.
The study was observational, and although researchers were able to identify a link between children’s ultra-processed food intake and health, they cannot say that one causes the other. , said Berger.
Nevertheless, it is very important to be careful about ultra-processed foods for young children. That’s because how infants eat throughout their lives is greatly influenced by their nutritional status in early childhood, he said.
“What we do know is that people who eat a certain way, and even mothers who eat in the womb, are setting preferences for their babies,” Freeman says. “There are many publications that have shown that what we eat early in life actually sets the stage for what happens in the future.”
Berger says it’s easier to transition children’s diets from ultra-processed foods to fresher options when they’re young.
The problem is that avoiding ultra-processed foods isn’t equally easy for everyone.
The study found that mothers of children who consumed the most ultra-processed foods in their diets were younger, had higher body mass index (BMI), and had lower levels of education and employment.
In places where fresh food is hard to come by, ultra-processed foods are more available and cheaper, Freeman said.
“Ultra-processed foods are also very convenient,” he said. “As a result, people reach for them when they feed their children, and the children are not hungry, but they contain various chemicals, substances, seasonings, sugar salts, etc. It’s packed with everything that makes them so addictive.”
Freeman stressed that feeding ultra-processed foods to children instead of fresh fruits and vegetables could lead to problems down the road.
It’s important to add more nutritious foods and encourage physical activity whenever possible, Berger added.
“If we can do something to establish a healthy lifestyle early on, we have a chance of eliminating metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes, obesity, and all the complications associated with diabetes and obesity, later in life. ” he said.
