KUCHING: Ultra-processed foods are cheap and tasty and people are consuming them today without paying much attention to the bad impact on their health.
Ultra-processed food usually contains ingredients that people would not add when cooking homemade food such as colourings, preservatives, sweeteners, stabilisers and emulsifiers.
Examples of these ultra-processed foods and beverages are ice-cream, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, carbonated drinks, fruit flavoured yogurt or drinks, instant soups and some alcoholic drinks such as whisky, gin and rum.
All these may be cheap, convenient and tasty, but it can lead to many health risks.
Therefore, in conjunction with the World Health Day celebrated every April 7, health experts of Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City are advocating a healthier tomorrow to encourage people to learn to make better food choices.
Potential health risks
Senior manager of dietetics at the centre, Celeste Lau, said each processed food group has its own purpose and not all processed foods are unhealthy. As long as the nutritional value in the food doesn’t change, it is okay to be consumed.
“However, ultra-processed food in general contains higher sugar, salt and processed fat, which in some cases can spike insulin levels and make people eat more, resulting in over-consumption.
Meanwhile, the centre’s consultant endocrinologist Dr Teoh Wei Leng explains that a moderate consumption of ultra-processed food and beverages on a regular basis can lead to obesity.
“Obesity in turn can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome like abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides level, and low HDL cholesterol level which can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and strokes.
“This observation has been confirmed in multiple studies, showing that people who consumed a higher proportion of ultra-processed foods have higher obesity rates, poorer nutritional quality in their diet, higher intake of sodium and sugar, lower intakes of fibres, wholegrains, fruits, and vegetables. This then leads to a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes,” she said.
Obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases
The centre’s consultant cardiologist Dr Patrick Tiau, said that overweight and obese patients have been associated with other risks of cardiovascular diseases that can accelerate the process of fat, cholesterol and other substance build-up in our artery walls.
“When it comes to diabetes, diabetic people are more prone to developing cardiovascular disease than others because diabetes mellitus, or high blood sugar, can block and damage the vessels carrying blood to your heart, starving the heart from oxygen and blood supply,
“When your heart is unable to pump blood effectively, it can lead to fatigue, difficulty in breathing, and leg swelling. Heart failure tends to get worse over time, but early diagnosis and treatment can improve symptoms and delay the disease progression,” he said.
Since patients with diabetes are at risk of heart failure, he said, thus prevention of heart failure has become an important therapeutic goal in the management of diabetes.
Risk of getting colorectal cancer
Several large-scale studies have recently found that a 10 per cent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks was associated with over 10 per cent increase in the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Foods with high fibre content such as fruits and vegetables offer protection against colorectal cancer, while a low intake of these nutrients, accompanied by the presence of additives and other substances with carcinogenic potential in ultra-processed foods are usually of lower nutritional quality.
Some of these harmful substances are sometimes present in the packaging itself if they are in direct contact with food during production, processing, and storage.
The centre’s clinical oncologist Dr Aqilah Othman, said that while ultra-processed food and drinks are not classified as carcinogenic in general they contain specific components that may be dangerous.
“For example, processed meats have been classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
“When consumed, the nitrites can be converted into cancer-causing chemicals, for example, N-nitroso (NOCs) compounds. Carrageenan and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), commonly used thickening agents, have been associated with intestinal inflammation which as a result can increase the risk of colorectal cancer,” she said.
Eat and stay healthy
Dr Aqilah stressed that lifestyle habits are best ingrained during the developmental years, and therefore parents are the best role models in their family.
“Children emulate those closest to them and they develop conscious decisions and lifelong habits through observation and activities in daily lives.
“Thus, parents themselves need to be proactive in reducing their risks of cancers like colorectal cancer by not smoking, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, reducing alcohol and red meat intake, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and going for bowel cancer screening when it is due.
“These can be done as a family unit, involving their children in the process of food selection during grocery shopping, food preparation for family meals and scheduling time for fun, enjoyable physical activities,” she said.
By ensuring there are healthier food options available at home, parents and individuals can ensure they are able to make better food choices for themselves and their families.
“For example, swap biscuits for freshly baked bread and cheese, sweetened orange juice for the fruit itself, and instant foods for home-cooked meals that have been cooked in large batches and frozen for busy days,” she said.
Dr Aqilah also said that on this World Health Day, the public should prioritise health by doing regular health screenings.
Apart from that, Dr Patrick recommends that people who are overweight or obese exercise regularly and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
“It also helps if they are able to consult their doctors about creating a diet and exercise plan that works best for them based on their current health status,” he said.
