Eating pre-packaged meals? This could put you at risk of heart failure

The study followed 1,171 people participating in the Moli-sani epidemiological project for over ten years.

Ultra-processed foods have potential adverse effects on the health of an individual as now a study by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromedin Pozzilli (Italy) explores the health effects of a large dietary share of ultra-processed food on people already suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

The findings published in the European Heart Journal, the European Society of Cardiology journal indicate a higher risk of a second heart attack (or stroke), this time fatal. Moreover, another observation emerges from this study: even in people generally following the Mediterranean diet, but consuming too many ultra-processed foods, health risks are higher.

The study followed 1,171 people participating in the Moli-sani epidemiological project for over ten years. All of them already had cardiovascular disease at the time of inclusion in the study. Regarding the diet followed by participants, the researchers focused on the consumption of ultra-processed foods, made in part or entirely with substances not routinely used in cooking (hydrolysed proteins, maltodextrins, hydrogenated fats, for example) and which generally contain various additives, such as dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, anticaking agents, flavour enhancers and sweeteners.