Cosa sono gli alimenti ultra processati e causano il cancro?
Revisione paritaria di Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGPUltimo aggiornamento di Amberley DavisUltimo aggiornamento 10 Ott 2023
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Dopo una lunga giornata, molti di noi optano per cibi economici e convenienti per rendere la cena più veloce e facile, come salse pronte per la pasta o piatti da mettere direttamente in forno. Ma anche quelli che sembrano sani - come un barattolo di salsa di pomodoro - sono spesso classificati come alimenti ultra-processati. E mangiarne troppi può avere un impatto serio sulla nostra salute e può persino portare a dipendenza.
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What are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed food (UPF) is food that you cannot make in your own kitchen because it contains a lot of ingredients that you tend not to find in your cupboards. These foods are often cheap, convenient and have a long shelf-life.
Reema Patel, registered dietitian at Dietitian Fit, says ultra-processed ricchi normally have a long list of ingredients. "The ingredients may include additives such as emulsifiers, sweeteners, preservatives and stabilisers," she says.
Examples of ultra-processed foods Crisps, sweets, ice cream, fizzy drinks, pastries, cereals, fruit-flavoured yoghurts, ready meals, sausages, bacon, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, instant soups, ready-made sauces and vegana ‘meat’ substitutes.
These foods may also contain artificial flavours and although many are calorific, they tend to contain few nutrients that are good for us.
Are ultra processed foods bad for our health?
Torna ai contenutiIt’s accepted that ultra-processed foods don’t offer us many health benefits and therefore should be avoided or eaten in moderation. However, ricchi can be processed in many different ways, so some are worse for us than others.
Foods that are technically processed, such as low-sugar breakfast cereals, may contain added vitamins or minerals - so may be included as part of a healthy diet, however - they are often full of sweeteners and other chemicals. Many other processed foods contain a lot of zucchero which makes us want to eat more as it activates the reward centre of our brains, which in turn makes us feel good.
Experts identify addiction to ultra-processed food as a big problem
In October 2023, a global report looked at data from 36 countries. It found that1:
14% of adults have ultra-processed food addiction.
12% of children have ultra-processed cibo addiction.
Among adults, this prevalence is similar to addiction rates seen for other legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco.
Among children, this prevalence of addiction is unprecedented.
Experts are now calling for addiction to ultra-processed foods to be a clinically recognised type of substance use disorder.
Processed meats that are high in salt or fat like sausages or bacon have been linked to cancro2.
"There is a relationship between a high intake of ultra-processed foods and certain health conditions, including cardiovascular disease3," says Patel. "Studies from 2023 showed that risk of certain cancers was related to the increased eating of ultra processed foods. This included al seno, colorettale e pancreatico tumori4."
A review of 43 studies found that in 37 of the studies, at least one adverse health outcome was associated with consuming ultra-processed foods. These included obesità, malattie cardiache, cancro, diabete di tipo 2, sindrome dell'intestino irritabile and even depressione5.
More research is needed to understand the connection between ultra-processed foods and cancer. But it’s thought that the link may be due to the fact that ultra-processed foods generally contain more fats, sugars and salts. Also, ultra-processed foods raise our blood sugars higher than foods that are less processed.
"These foods often lack nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre - which are all known to help support health and reduce risk of illness," says Patel.
What is the difference between ultra-processed foods and processed foods?
The term ultra-processed foods comes from the NOVA food classification system, which was developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil6. There are four groups:
Alimenti non trasformati o minimamente trasformati
Questo include frutta, verdura, latte, pesce, legumi, uova, noci e semi che non hanno ingredienti aggiunti e non sono stati realmente modificati dal loro stato naturale.
Ingredienti trasformati
Questo include alimenti che vengono aggiunti ad altri cibi piuttosto che consumati da soli, come sale, zucchero e olio.
Alimenti trasformati
Questi sono alimenti che vengono realizzati combinando cibi dei gruppi 1 e 2, che sono modificati in un modo che i cuochi casalinghi potrebbero fare da soli. Includono alimenti come marmellata, frutta e verdura in scatola, pane e formaggi fatti in casa.
Alimenti ultra-processati
Ultra-processed foods usually have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial dolcificanti and flavours.
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How to cut down on ultra-processed foods
Torna ai contenutiEating ultra-processed foods every so often is unlikely to cause any significant problems. But eating them every day can increase your risk of health issues, so it’s important to cut down your intake of them. To do this, focus your diet on whole fruits, vegetables and minimally-processed foods like potatoes, wholegrains and breads.
Simpler foods, like a pasta dish with fresh tomatoes or a quick home-made sauce from chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic, are less processed than ready-meals. And if you cook sauces or meals in batches and freeze them, they can be a quick and cheap dinner.
Verdure that are in season are often cheaper in supermarkets and lentils, beans or other pulses like chickpeas can bulk up a meal easily. Garlic, herbs and spices can make a dish tasty without additives like sweeteners or artificial flavours.
When shopping, check the labels of the foods you’re buying. If there’s a long list of ingredients that you haven’t heard of, it’s probably ultra-processed.
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Storia dell'articolo
Le informazioni su questa pagina sono revisionate da clinici qualificati.
Next review due: 10 Oct 2026
10 Ott 2023 | Ultima versione
25 Set 2023 | Pubblicato originariamente
Autore:
Lydia Smith
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