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Ultra-processed foods and recommended intake levels of nutrients linked to non-communicable diseases in Australia: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study
Machado et al. (2019) examined the consumption of ultra-processed foods in Australia using the data from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2011-2012), with the objective of exploring its relationship with the intake of nutrients linked to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Dietary information on 12,153 participants aged 2+ years were determined, including the dietary components classified according to the NOVA system (a classification based on the nature, extent and purpose of industrial food processing) as well as the mean nutrient content of ultra-processed food and non-ultra-processed food fractions of the diet. The primary outcomes of this study were the average dietary contents of nutrients linked to NCDs and the prevalence of intake outside levels recommended for the prevention of NCDs. The results showed ultra-processed foods contributed most (42% of the energy intake), followed by unprocessed or minimally processed foods (35.4%), processed foods (15.8%) and processed culinary ingredients (6.8%). Machado et al. (2019) also discovered a positive and statistically significant linear trend between quintiles of ultra-processed food consumption and intake levels of free sugars, 3 categories of fats (total, saturated and trans), sodium, and diet energy density, and also discovered an inverse association with dietary fiber and potassium. Moreover, a linear increase in prevalence of non-recommended consumption levels of all studied nutrients was seen across quintiles of ultra-processed food intake, most markedly for free sugars (22% to 82%), trans fats (6% to 11%), and dietary energy density (2% to 25%), from the lowest to the highest ultra-processed food quintile. The researchers concluded that the high energy contribution of ultra-processed foods had negative effects on consumption of non-ultra-processed foods and also on all nutrients linked to NCDs in Australia. The findings supported decreasing the dietary share of ultra-processed foods in order to enhance diet quality across the country and help accomplish recommended nutrient intake levels. [NPID: sugar, processed food, NOVA, saturated fat, trans fat]
Year: 2019
