Did you think the dishes prepared, cold cuts or burgers were only bad for the line? A scientific study carried out on 428,728 Europeans followed for 16 years shows that they promote serious illnesses like Parkinson, strokes and cardiac pathologies.
Three pathologies closely linked to prepared dishes
The researchers found that volunteers whose food had a high proportion of ultra-transformed foods, or 13.7 % of their total contribution, had 23 % additional risk of death by Parkinson. Their results also show a significant increase in the risk of death:
- 12 % for digestive diseases, including pathologies of liver, stomach and digestive tract;
- 11 % for cerebral vascular accidents;
- 5 to 9 % for cardiovascular disease.
More broadly, this diet results in a 4 % increase in the risk of premature death, all causes combined. The authors specify that these results remain valid even by excluding the impact of alcohol.
Why are these products so harmful?
Scientists explain that these industrial products are rich in salt, sugar, dyes, taste, emulsifiers and conservatives. Their structure is altered by many industrial processes, promoting faster absorption in the bloodstream. Consequence: an increase in blood sugar, a drop in satiety and a degradation of the intestinal microbiome.
Fruits and vegetables: a demonstrated protective effect
The study also shows that by replacing only 10 % of ultra-transformed foods with fresh fruits and vegetables, health benefits are immediate. The researchers then observe:
- A 22 % reduction in the risk of death by Parkinson’s disease;
- A drop of 18 % of deaths related to digestive diseases;
- A decrease of 13 % of strokes;
- A fall of 11 to 12 % of deaths of cardiovascular origin.
In total, the risk of death confused decreases by 6 %. As the authors point out: “Promoting the consumption of non -processed or low -processed foods while discouraging highly processed foods in food recommendations can be beneficial for health“.