10 health risks of ultra-processed foods

It's true that ultra-processed foods could spell disaster for your health in the long run. Processing usually changes a food’s natural state and robs it off its essential nutrients.

Many ingredients are added to them on the process be it sugar, salt, fat and artificial colours or preservatives.

Moreover, additives like artificial colours, flavours or stabilizers are added to them frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes and salty snacks are examples of ultra-processed foods.

Here are 10 health risks of ultra-processed foods.

Heart disease

Gorging on your favourite ultra-processed food may look harmless at the moment, but in long run, it could have a significant impact on your heart health. A study published in a journal found that eating more uktra-processed foods is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease in US adults. Studies from different countries also suggest a slight increase in stroke risk.

Type 2 diabetes

Ultra-processed foods have high amounts of hidden sugar, unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates, all of which make for a deadly combination in contributing to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.  People who add less fiber, vitamins, minerals and unprocessed foods to their diet are likely to increase their chances of type 2 diabetes.

Mental health disorders

Eating junk food regularly can wreak havoc on your mental health. A study found that higher intake of UPFs was associated with a 53 % increase in odds of common mental disorder symptoms, including depression and anxiety.

Cancer

Processed food consumption could do greater damage to your body than you ever imagined. According to experts, increased intake of processed foods can raise your risk of overall cancer, head and neck cancers, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, colon cancer, rectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and postmenopausal breast cancer.

Obesity

Eating junk food can make you put on unhealthy amount of weight. Ultra-processed products are energy-dense and high in saturated and trans fat, added sugar and sodium, which can lead to obesity and its associated health issues.

Junk food addiction

Ultra-processed foods are highly addictive and there is a reason why it provides comfort upon eating. Eating these foods activate reward centers of the brain in ways similar to something like nicotine or alcohol. People commonly experience strong cravings for these ultra-processed foods, and this can turn into addiction.

Digestive issues

Junk foods are low in fiber and essential nutrients and high in unhealthy fats, sugar and additives. This can affect digestion and cause a variety of gut health problems/

Nutrient deficiency

Ultra-processed foods are low in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, the nutrients that nourish the body and perform many important functions. When you are overindulging in these foods, you may develop nutritional deficiencies.

High cholesterol

Junk food or ultra-processed food is prepared using hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats. They can raise LDL cholesterol levels.

Mortality

A review in 2024 found that eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to a higher risk of dying from any cause and is linked to 32 health conditions, including heart disease, mental health disorders, type 2 diabetes and other problems.

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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It's true that ultra-processed foods could s ..

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It's true that ultra-processed foods could  ..

Read more at:
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It's true that ultra-processed foods could  ..

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The Role of Zinc in Predicting the Severity of COVID-19

It’s been over a year since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we’ve certainly all learned a lot about this dangerous disease already. One question that keeps being brought up in both public and academic settings is, “Which factors predict the severity of Covid-19?” We all know that age and underlying health conditions play a certain role, but beyond that, little is known on the topic. 

 

Meanwhile, a significant number of individuals of comparable age and health status who contracted the virus exhibit a broad spectrum of health outcomes. A recent study that appears in the journal Nutrients suggests that low zinc levels may account for some of these unexpected severe cases of Covid-19. Read on to learn more about the link between zinc and Covid-19 infections. 

 

The role of zinc in the human body

We all need zinc to stay healthy. In fact, this essential mineral is involved in several key functions in the human body: wound healing, cell growth and division, the breakdown of carbohydrates, and DNA synthesis. Notably, zinc also plays a crucial role in immune health.

The mineral has both antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s essential for maintaining the body’s defense against viruses specifically. Therefore, it’s logical to assume that low zinc levels could contribute to one’s risk of severe Covid-19 and hinder the recovery process. Interestingly, the category of people who have a higher risk of having low levels of zinc is senior citizens, the same age group that is disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus. 

 

All these factors combined prompted the researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and the Pompeu Fabra University (both in Spain) to investigate the correlation between the severity and progression of Covid-19 and zinc blood levels.

Dr. Robert Güerri-Fernández, one of the authors of the study, explained the mission of the study in a statement, “Zinc is an essential element for maintaining a variety of biological processes, and altering its levels causes increased susceptibility to infections and increased inflammatory response. […] zinc levels and zinc supplementation may prove useful tools to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.” More about the study below.

Can zinc levels influence the progression of COVID-19?  

Since zinc is involved in the immune response and curbs inflammation in the body, the researchers hypothesized that people with low zinc levels could suffer from more severe forms of Covid-19 and possibly even stay sick for a longer period of time. 

 

To test this idea, they looked at the data from 249 adult COVID-19 patients hospitalized between March 9 and April 1, 2020. 28% of the study participants were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 9% sadly passed away at the hospital. 

 

The researchers took blood zinc levels of each patient when they were admitted to the hospital. Of all the patients in the study, 23% had low zinc levels. These patients were more likely to have severe COVID-19 and higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood than their counterparts with adequate zinc levels. Moreover, participants with low zinc levels had a mortality rate of 21% whereas those with healthy zinc levels had a 5% chance to pass as a result of COVID-19.

What’s more, those with normal zinc levels recovered 3 times faster than participants with low zinc levels - an average of 8 days and 25 days, respectively. These results seem to suggest that zinc deficiency increases one’s risks of severe COVID-19 and slows down recovery. 

 

To follow up on their findings, the researchers also conducted an in-vitro study confirming that higher zinc concentrations can indeed reduce the replication of the novel coronavirus. As Dr. Güerri-Fernández concluded in the study, “We have shown the importance of zinc levels in patients’ blood as an additional predictor of outcome in COVID-19, as well as its potential as a therapeutic tool for treatment.” 

 

Even though this study is considered quite small, so we cannot draw any definitive conclusions about it, it certainly urges us to be more mindful of our nutrition habits, just in case. Since the human body cannot produce zinc on its own, we should definitely make sure that we get enough of this mineral from our diet, especially now. 

 

Some foods that include plenty of zinc are pumpkin seeds, chocolate, turkey, egg yolks, and beef.  Lastly, if you know that you have a zinc deficiency, or suspect that you do, consult your doctor on the possibility of supplementation.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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6 Important Things We Learned About COVID-19 This Month

It’s been over a year that COVID-19 spread worldwide and turned our lives upside down. During this year, many advancements were made that deepen our understanding of this new invisible threat, but new and important data on the topic keep emerging every week and month.

With new variants of the virus emerging every month now, as well as new vaccines being approved and tested, this month has been quite dense in terms of new information. If you feel like you’ve missed out on the latest developments, this quick read will fill you in. 

 

1. New variants of the virus keep emerging

Just a few months ago, we wrote a piece about four new known strains of the novel coronavirus: the UK strain, the South African variant, the California strain, and the Brazil variant. These new coronavirus mutations are more contagious, and so they spurred another wave of lockdowns and restrictions across the globe. Since then, it was discovered that one of these variants - the California strain - is associated with higher mortality risks. 

 

However, it seems that new versions of COVID-19 just keep emerging, and there are at least two other known variants in the US: the New York strain, and more recently, a new variant from Oregon. Like the previous mutations we mentioned, the so-called New York strain is more transmissible. 

 

As for the new strain found in Portland, Oregon, it seems to combine the mutations of several strains. As reported by USA Today, “Discovered in a patient in Portland, it is similar to the UK strain but carries a mutation seen in variants of the virus being spread in South Africa, Brazil, and New York City.” This variant, too, is considered to be more easily contractable. But transmissibility isn’t the only concern with all these new variants of COVID-19. 

 

Medical professionals are concerned that these new strains could be more difficult to target by existing vaccines, which brings us to our next point.

2. The efficacy of vaccines against new COVID-19 variants

When it comes to the newest variants like the New York strain and the California variant, little is known on whether or not existing vaccines are as effective against them, but scientists do speculate that the New York variant specifically may be less responsive to existing vaccines. 

 

That said, there’s some recent good news, too. Just a few days ago, on March 8, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, which is one of the top vaccines administered to patients, is highly effective at protecting patients from the Brazil strain. This is great news, as the Brazil variant of COVID-19, also known as P.1, is capable to reinfect those who have already had COVID-19, and so it’s a relief to know that vaccination can help prevent this from happening. 

 

Earlier, follow-up lab studies also established that the Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines all offer protection against the UK and the South African strain, but they also point out that current vaccines are less effective against the South African strain. It’s also important to note that NO existing variant of COVID-19 was explicitly found to be immune to vaccinations, which is great news! 

 

3. Eyeglasses help protect you from COVID-19

In a previous article, we pointed out that the novel coronavirus can penetrate the body through the eyes and also that it is possible to catch COVID-19 from someone’s tears. There is new scientific evidence on that topic. The study suggests that wearing eyeglasses provides added protection against COVID-19. According to the research, glasses wearers are 3 times less likely to get COVID-19 than those who don’t wear glasses. 

 

This evidence is in line with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recommendation to wear a face shield or goggles to get better protection than wearing a mask alone. Though there is no official regulation to wear glasses or a face shield in public, you can try to wear a pair to get better protection from the virus.

4. Travel bans are almost completely ineffective

A recent study seriously questions the continuous travel bans that are being imposed worldwide. According to the researchers, limiting travel was really only effective at the first stages of a pandemic. After that, travel restrictions have little effect on limiting the spread of the disease, so at this point, travel bans are pretty much redundant, according to the authors of the study and other experts. Instead, the authors suggest that widespread COVID-19 testing on the borders between countries would be a more useful and effective approach. 

 

5. A new side effect to vaccinations

We’ve covered the possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations in a previous article in detail, and for those of you who have already received the vaccine, the occasional muscle pain in the arm, possible fever, and fatigue are all known occurrences. However, doctors also point out that recently-immunized people may also have swollen lymph nodes. 

 

This is completely normal and is not a cause for concern. The reason why it’s still important to point out is that swollen lymph nodes are a symptom of other health conditions, including cancer. So, if you do end up getting any type of screening immediately after getting a vaccination, this symptom could lead to a false-positive result. If you’ve recently received any dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s best to wait for a month until you have your yearly health exam, routine breast cancer screening, or any other imaging done.

6. COVID-19 mortality is significantly higher in countries with higher obesity rates

A report published by the World Obesity Forum shared an alarming tendency: COVID-19 mortality is 10 times higher in countries where the majority of the population is overweight. The study looked at data provided by the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University, and they established that countries where obesity levels are low also reported much lower levels of COVID-19 deaths, on average. 

 

Of the 2.5 million deaths due to COVID-19 reported in late February 2021, a whopping 2.2 million occurred in countries where at least half of the population is struggling with excess weight. Although it’s difficult to give this data its due meaning, as it’s unknown whether or not the authors controlled for other factors known to increase the risk of COVID-19, it certainly brings home the point that the obesity epidemic is just as serious of a global issue as is the coronavirus pandemic itself.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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