New evidence links ultra-processed foods with a range of health risks

新证据表明过度加工食品会带来一系列健康危害

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上海译锐翻译    2019-6-3     16:59

Policies that limit ultra-processed food intake are urgently needed, say researchers

研究人员表示，我们亟需限制过度加工食品摄入的政策

Two large European studies published by The BMJtoday find positive associations between consumption of highly processed ("ultra-processed") foods and risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

由BMJ today所出版的两大欧洲研究发现，摄入精加工（“过度加工”）食品与心血管疾病和死亡有明确关联。

The researchers say further work is needed to better understand these effects, and a direct (causal) link remains to be established, but they call for policies that promote consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods over highly processed foods.

研究人员表示，要想进一步了解精加工食品对于健康的影响，还需要进一步的研究。尽管直接（偶然）的联系仍需确立，但研究人员呼吁出台政策，鼓励食用新鲜或经过极少加工的食品，而非精加工食品。

Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals containing food additives, dehydrated vegetable soups, and reconstituted meat and fish products -- often containing high levels of added sugar, fat, and/or salt, but lacking in vitamins and fibre. They are thought to account for around 25-60% of daily energy intake in many countries.

过度加工食品包括包装类烘焙食品和零食、起泡饮料、含糖谷类、含有食品添加剂的速成餐、脱水蔬菜汤和复原肉类和鱼肉制品，这类食品通常添加了大量的糖、脂肪和/或盐，但缺乏维生素和纤维。在许多国家，这些食品在日常能量摄入当中占大约25-60%。

Previous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some cancers, but firm evidence is still scarce.

此前的研究已表明，过度加工食品更容易引起肥胖、高血压、高胆固醇和某些癌症。尽管如此，仍然缺乏有力的证据。

In the first study, researchers based in France and Brazil assessed potential associations between ultra-processed foods and risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (conditions affecting blood supply to the heart and brain).

在第一项研究中，位于法国和巴西的研究人员对过度加工食品与心血管和脑血管疾病（影响心脏和脑部血压供应的疾病）之间的潜在关联进行评估。

Their findings are based on 105,159 French adults (21% men; 79% women) with an average age of 43 years who completed an average of six 24-hour dietary questionnaires to measure usual intake of 3,300 different food items, as part of the NutriNet-Santé study.

他们的研究结果来自于105,159名平均年龄在43岁的法国成年人（其中21%为男性；79%为女性）。作为 NutriNet-Santé研究的一部分，研究对象平均完成了6项24小时饮食问卷调查，以测量3,300种食品通常的摄入情况。

Foods were grouped according to degree of processing and rates of disease were measured over a maximum follow-up of 10 years (2009-2018).

食品按照加工程度进行分类。随后，在长达10年的时间内对患病率进行估量。

Results showed that an absolute 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed food in the diet was associated with significantly higher rates of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease (increase of 12%, 13%, and 11% respectively).

结果表明，过度加工食品在饮食当中的比例增加10%后，心血管疾病、冠心病和脑血管疾病的比例有显著增加（增幅分别为12%、13%和11%）。

In contrast, the researchers found a significant association between unprocessed or minimally processed foods and lower risks of all reported diseases.

与此相对，研究人员发现未加工或加工最为简单的食品与低风险有着非常紧密的联系，其所涉及的疾病风险也更低。

In the second study, researchers based in Spain evaluated possible associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of death from any cause ("all cause mortality").

在第二项研究中，位于西班牙的研究人员对过度加工食品摄入和任何原因所造成死亡之间所可能存在的联系进行评估（“全因死亡率”）。

Their findings are based on 19,899 Spanish university graduates (7,786 men; 12,113 women) with an average age of 38 years who completed a 136-item dietary questionnaire as part of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) study.

他们的研究结果以19,899名，平均年龄在38岁的西班牙大学研究生为基础（那行为7786，女性为12,113）。作为SUN研究的一部分，研究对象完成了136项饮食问卷调查。

Again, foods were grouped according to degree of processing and deaths were measured over an average of 10 years.

同样，食物根据加工程度进行分组，并在平均为期10年的时间内对死亡数量进行估量。

Results showed that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (more than 4 servings per day) was associated with a 62% increased risk of all cause mortality compared with lower consumption (less than 2 servings per day). For each additional daily serving of ultra-processed food, mortality risk relatively increased by 18% (a dose-response effect).

结果表明，与较少摄入过度加工食品相比（每天不超过2份），过度加工食品摄入越多（每天超过4份），全因死亡的风险也越高，涨幅为62%。每天每多吃一份过度加工食品，死亡风险也会增加18%（剂量反应效果）。

Both studies are observational so can't establish causality, and there's a possibility that some of the observed risks may be due to unmeasured confounding factors.

由于两项研究都属于观察型，因此还无法确定因果关系。有一种可能性，某些观察到的风险可能由某些未估量且混淆的因素导致。

Nevertheless, both studies took account of well known lifestyle risk factors and markers of dietary quality, and the findings back up other research linking highly processed food with poor health.

然而，两项研究都考虑到了著名的生活方式风险因素和膳食质量标志物。研究结果也证实其他将过度加工食品和不健康联系在一起的研究是对的。

As such, both research teams say policies that limit the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet and promote consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods are needed to improve global public health.

同样，两个研究团队都认为，为了改善全球公众的健康，我们需要出台相关的政策。政策应限制过度加工食品在膳食中的占比并促进人们食用未加工或极少加工的食品。

This view is supported by Australian researchers in a linked editorial, who say the dietary advice is relatively straightforward: eat less ultra-processed food and more unprocessed or minimally processed food.

这一观点获得了澳大利亚研究人员的支持。澳大利亚研究人员在链接社论中表示，饮食建议相对直截了当：少吃过度加工食品，多吃未加工或极少加工的食品。

They say future research should explore associations between ultra-processed food and health harms in different populations around the world, and examine how harm occurs (for example by changing the gut microbiome in ways that could disturb energy balance).

他们表示，未来的研究应面向世界不同人群探索过度加工食品和健康危害之间的关系并研究危害如何发生（比如影响肠道微生物体并打破能量平衡）。

In the meantime, policy makers "should shift their priorities away from food reformulation -- which risks positioning ultra-processed food as a solution to dietary problems -- towards a greater emphasis on promoting the availability, affordability, and accessibility of unprocessed or minimally processed foods," they conclude.

同时，政策制定者“应该将注意力从食品配方重新调配上拿开（因为这有可能将过度加工食品定位为饮食问题的解决办法），并将重点放在让未加工食品或经过极少加工食品变得更加普遍、价格更加亲民以及更加容易获得上，”研究人员如此总结道。

需要了解的词汇：

ultra-processed food：过度加工食品

fizzy drinks：起泡饮料

ready meals：速成餐

reconstituted meat：复原肉

Cardiovascular：心血管

Cerebrovascular：脑血管

all cause mortality：全因死亡率 

文章来源：科学日报   编辑：质控部Susan