Pharmacist shares 'worrying' new study alert for people eating certain type of food

Pharmacist shares 'worrying' new study alert for people eating certain type of food He warned that the 'food environment around you has changed' A pharmacist has issued a warning to people eating a certain type of food over fears of its links to heart disease and death. There are also concerns that it could adversely affect blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, inflammation, and how hungry you feel. Raj Patel, also known as Pharmacist Health Raj on social media, warned people who consumed large proportions of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that their health could be at risk. He cited a recent study which drew a link between UPFs, heart disease, and heart disease-related deaths. Mr Patel did not cite which study specifically this was. However, a number of studies published in recent years confirm this link. New data suggests that more than 60 per cent of the average Brit's daily calorie intake comes from UPFs. UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Not only are these bad for us, but it also means we are not eating nutritionally beneficial whole foods in their place. The food environment around you has changed Mr Patel said: "If most of your meals come from takeaways, packets, or ready-meals, you may want to think twice. A patient of mine once said to me, 'I don't eat badly, I just don't have enough time'. And honestly, I think a lot of you will relate to that. Breakfast cereals, protein bars, ready-made meals, fizzy drinks, and takeaways have quietly become normal. In fact, more than half of what many people eat comes from ultra-processed foods. "And I say to them what I want to say to you now. This is not about guilt or perfection. The food environment around you has changed. "But here's the worrying part. A new study suggests ultra-processed foods could be contributing to up to one in three cases of heart disease and heart-disease deaths. And the bit that most people don't realise is that these foods may affect far more than just your weight. "They may also affect your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, inflammation, and how hungry you feel. You do not need to change everything overnight. Just ask yourself, 'What is one ultra-processed food I could swap out this week?' because small changes done repeatedly usually beat dramatic changes that don't last because your heart has to live with the choices you repeat every day." What is an ultra-processed food? The British Heart Foundation explains that the term ‘ultra-processed foods’ comes from the NOVA food classification system, which was developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. The system places food into four categories based on how much they have been processed during their production: - Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: This includes produce such as fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts and seeds that have no added ingredients and have been little altered from their natural state. - Processed ingredients: This includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt, sugar and oils. - Processed foods: These are foods that are made by combining foods from groups 1 and 2, which are altered in a way that home cooks could do themselves. They include foods such as jam, pickles, tinned fruit and vegetables, homemade breads and cheeses. - Ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods typically have more than 1 ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen. They also tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life. Examples include ham, mass-produced sausages, bread, breakfast cereals, and instant soups. Crisps and biscuits, ice cream, fruit-flavoured yogurts, carbonated drinks, and some alcoholic beverages are also included. Why are they so bad for us? As well as factors like high saturated fat, sugar, and salt, there are growing concerns that the additives in these foods are also bad for us. The NHS says: "Diets high in ultra-processed foods have been linked to an increased risk of health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It’s not known if ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to the processing or because of the calories, fat, salt and sugar they contain." However, the NHs adds that some UPFs - like sliced wholemeal bread, baked beans, and wholegrain or higher fibre breakfast cereals - can actually still be good for us. "Most people would probably benefit from eating less ultra-processed foods that are high in saturated fat, salt or sugar. These foods are not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts, " it says. "A healthy diet includes plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain or higher fibre starchy carbohydrates such as wholewheat pasta, brown rice, and whole oats." Ensure our latest health headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings