Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Heart Disease, Parkinson's
It's hard to avoid completely, but there are some easy steps you can take to lower your consumption.
- Two new studies on ultra-processed foods link them to a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson’s disease.
- Ultra-processed foods make up around 70 percent of America's food supply, so they're hard to eliminate entirely.
- Eating too much could impact your heart and brain health by increasing inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance.
If you haven't stayed up-to-date on health news lately, here's a quick headline for you: Ultra-processed foods aren’t so great for your health. In fact, studies have linked them to a slew of health issues including diabetes and cancer risk, and having a lot of ultra-processed foods in your diet can even potentially make you age faster. But up to 70 percent of the food supply in America is made up of these products, making them tough to entirely avoid.
Still, it's a never a bad idea to take a step back to assess what you're eating on a daily basis, especially when we're still learning about how ultra-processed foods could affect us. Case in point: Two recent studies have found an association between eating ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson’s disease. Given how life-altering each of these conditions can be, it’s understandable to have concerns.
Here’s what dietitians and doctors want you to keep in mind.
