Highly Processed Foods And Young People
Source : BNP Paribas Cardif validated by Rouen University Hospital
A recent study shows that those born after 1990 have a higher risk of health issues doubtless linked to their higher consumption of processed foods.
Scientific data has already established the clear connection between diets heavy in highly processed foods and issues with weight and obesity (see here for related articles). However, a recent study in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology revealed that individuals born after 1990 had a higher risk of developing cancer, doubtless because of their higher consumption of highly processed foods.
- These foods have become so prevalent in our diet that many consumers do not even realize this is an issue. In fact, many young people opting for vegetarian or vegan diets may even be increasing their consumption of such foods while assuming that they are making a “healthier” choice.
According to the NOVA scale, which starts with unprocessed ingredients such as eggs, fruit or milk, moving on to culinary ingredients (butter, oils, sugar…), processed foods (tinned or frozen goods, bread…) and finishes with highly processed foods, the vast majority of vegan and vegetarian options available commercially are classified as the latter, whether plant milks or meat substitutes.
- These foods are often high in fat, added salt and sugar, but also cause inflammation in the body because their natural structure has been removed. This inflammation is damaging to our microbiome and can also cause the body to respond as if it were fighting an infection.
Scientists are calling for a reformulation of these processed foods, but also greater awareness of the potential effects of this consumption, particularly in younger people, attracted by the user-friendly nature of apparently “healthy” meat and dairy alternatives.
