NUTRITIONAL QUALITY MATTERS MORE THAN PROCESSING LEVEL, STUDY FINDS

A new study analysing dietary data from over 200,000 individuals in the United States suggests that the nutritional quality of food may be more significant than its level of processing. Researchers found that the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and death was primarily linked to the overall quality of a person's diet, regardless of whether foods were ultra-processed or minimally processed. The analysis tracked participants across several decades, from the 1980s to the 2020s. Among those studied, approximately 26,209 people developed cardiovascular disease, around 21,000 developed type 2 diabetes, and 55,493 died.

Participants were grouped into four categories based on plant-based eating habits: healthy ultra-processed foods such as plant-based milk, yoghurts, canned beans, fortified cereals and wholegrain bread; healthy minimally processed foods including fresh fruit and nuts; unhealthy ultra-processed products such as fast food and fizzy drinks; and unhealthy minimally processed items such as fruit juice, potatoes and white rice. Xiaowen Wang, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, stated that "processing itself is not inherently harmful" and that many ultra-processed foods tend to be of poor nutritional quality and should generally be limited or avoided.

Experts recommend prioritising nutrient-dense, high-quality foods and focusing on a healthy overall diet rather than solely on the degree of food processing. Researchers suggest that advising the public to completely avoid ultra-processed foods could inadvertently reduce diet quality, as many processed items can be beneficial. Wang said the findings suggest that people should focus on what they are eating overall, not just whether it is processed.