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| Are ultra-processed foods harmful to our health? |
Children are coming to us at a very young age with blood pressure and diabetes disorders. The long-term effects of ultra-processed foods are dangerous.
This is the opinion of Dr. Asad Akbar, a cardiologist in Islamabad who examines patients at Shifa Hospital daily whose health he says has been affected by ultra-processed foods.
They say that ultra-processed foods are high in energy value and calories even in small amounts, which temporarily fills the stomach but makes you feel hungry after a while.
Dr. Asad says that we have patients coming to us who are young, but they have high cholesterol, blood pressure, which is not even in the family. These foods have short and long-term effects.
A trial conducted on twin sisters in the UK
Amy, 24, ate only ultra-processed food for a trial period of two weeks. The experiment was carried out by scientists at King's College London for BBC Panorama.
His twin sister, Nancy, was also given a specific diet plan that included natural or less processed foods. Calories, nutrients, sugar, and fiber were kept the same for both.
After the trial, Amy gained about a kilogram while Nancy lost weight. Amy's blood sugar levels (blood sugar) worsened and her blood fat (lipids) increased.
The short-term study was conducted on only two twin sisters, but the findings underscore the concerns of scientists who have already been concerned about the potential health effects of ultra-processed foods on the human body.
Professor Tim Spector is a health specialist at King's College London. They research disease trends and have seen the above results.
"Evidence has grown over the past decade that ultra-processed foods are bad for us, in ways we didn't think about before," he told BBC Panorama.
"Here we are talking about types of cancer, heart disease, paralysis, and dementia."
The term ultra-processed foods (UPF) was coined 15 years ago, but it makes up almost half of our diet in the UK.
Brown bread crumbs and ice cream are different types of bread that are produced by different industrial processes.
They use ingredients such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners (artificial sugar), and emulsifiers (additives used to mix different food ingredients) that are not commonly used in home cooking.
"Ultra-processed foods are the most profitable type of food for a food company," says Marion Nestle, a food policy expert and professor of nutrition at New York University.
Our consumption of ultra-processed foods is increasing. In Europe, Great Britain is in first place in this regard. Along with this, the trend of diseases like diabetes and cancer has also increased worldwide.
According to some experts, this relationship is not a coincidence.
Chemicals found in ultra-processed foods are safe for health, according to British watchdogs, but Panorama's research examines new scientific evidence linking some of these chemicals to cancer, diabetes, and stroke.
In January, one of the most detailed studies on ultra-processed foods was published in the medical journal The Lancet. It was written by Imperial College's School of Public Health.
A study of 200,000 people in the UK found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods could be linked to an increased risk of cancer, particularly ovarian and brain cancer.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against long-term consumption of artificial sugars, citing potential health effects.
Dozens of studies have linked increased UPF consumption to an increased risk of serious diseases.
But proving which ingredients are harmful to human health can be a big challenge. Other aspects of our daily lives can also increase the risk of these diseases, such as lack of exercise, smoking, or excessive consumption of sugary foods.
Commonly consumed ultra-processed foods:
Widely produced bread and sweet breakfast cereals
Instant soups, packaged and microwaveable foods
Fruit flavored yogurt
Meat products like ham and sausage that undergo artificial processing
Ice crepes, crisps (chips), and biscuits
Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, gin, and rum
Early research on ultra-processed foods and mortality began at the Sorbonne Paris North University in France. It was part of an ongoing study of the dietary habits of 174,000 people.
"We have 24 knee diet records in which they tell us what they eat, what drinks they drink," says Dr. Mathilde Tovier, head of the research.
Some of the results of this study showed that UPF increases the risk of cancer.
The mystery of the additive called an emulsifier
The effects of emulsifiers, which act as glues in ultra-processed foods, were recently reviewedThere are ingredients. It has become a conundrum in the food industry because it improves the appearance of foods and gives them a longer shelf life than less processed foods.
This stuff is everywhere like mayonnaise, chocolate, peanut butter, and meat products. If you eat anything, emulsifiers are likely part of your diet.
BBC Panorama has first access to Dr. Tovier's preliminary findings.
These results have not been verified by peer review, which is an important requirement of clinical studies. However, she says the results are troubling.
"We have found a strong link between emulsifiers and all types of cancer (especially breast cancer)," he says. But it is also related to heart disease.
That is, a link between ultra-processed foods and disease risk has been observed, but more research is needed.
Despite this growing evidence, the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) has yet to issue any guidelines to limit the use of emulsifiers.
On the dangers of additives in processed foods, the FSA told BBC Panorama: "We have not been given any evidence from this program or elsewhere regarding the adverse health effects of specific emulsifiers."
However, according to the FSA, a public consultation has been planned.
So is the food industry playing a role in preventing regulations?
BBC Panorama has researched this over the past eight months.
Professor Nestlé said that 'food companies are not public health institutions. Their job is to sell things.
He said the food industry is known to fund studies and experts and deny existing research to prevent new regulations.
The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is an organization that receives support from the world's largest food companies.
It says its mission is "science to improve human health," but it has published papers in the past that have hindered regulation and public awareness of healthy diets. In 2012, the European Food Safety Agency was so concerned about conflicts of interest that it asked everyone connected to ILSI to resign or leave the agency.
Professor Alan Babs of Imperial College London is the non-salaried director of ILSI Europe. He is the former Vice President of its Board of Directors. He also chairs the Committee on Toxicity, a group of British scientists that advises the FSA on chemicals found in food.
More than half of the committee members have recent ties to the food or chemical industry. In the past 10 years, the committee has not supported any ban on chemical additives in food.
Professor Babs told Panorama that his proposals were not for the benefit of industry and that he was always "committed to conducting and identifying the best scientific research, no matter who is supporting it."
The Food Standards Agency says its rules and regulations are clear and transparent. According to him, there was "no evidence" of bias in his decisions.
The ILSI says it 'operates within the framework of the noble principles of integrity in science.'
Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar
One of the most controversial additives in UPF is the sweetener aspartame. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar, but it is said to be an excellent alternative with fewer calories. As a result, unhealthy sugary drinks, ice creams, and mousses are sold as 'healthy' foods.
But over the past two decades, questions have been raised about its potential dangers.
A month ago, the World Health Organization said that although the evidence was not conclusive, it was concerned about the long-term use of aspartame increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and death.
In 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) decided, based on the available evidence, that aspartame was safe for use in food, and the British watchdog also accepted this position.
The Committee on Toxicity conducted a study on aspartame in 2013 and said the results did not prove that action should be taken against it to protect public health.
Six years later Professor Eric Milestone of the University of Sussex reviewed the evidence reviewed by EFSA and looked at who had funded the studies.
They found that 90 percent of these studies were funded by the chemical companies that make and sell aspartame.
The studies showing the health effects of aspartame were supported by non-commercial and independent sources.
A spokesman for the Food and Drinks Federation, one of the manufacturers, told the BBC that companies take consumer health and the safety of the food they make seriously and adhere to strict rules.
A spokesperson for the International Sweeteners Association said that low- or no-calorie sweeteners are safe to use in food. These are the most researched ingredients in the world and have been approved by all food safety watchdogs, including the European Food Safety Authority and the US Food and Drug Administration.
The FSA has said it will look into the ongoing WHO review of aspartame. The British government has said that it is aware of the concerns associated with the UPF and that it altered review of new evidence against processed food has been ordered.