Scientists have found markers of the dangerous effects of fast food in the blood
The consumption of ultra-processed foods leads to the appearance of a special metabolic "imprint" in the blood, which is associated with the development of dangerous pathologies. This was reported by Medical Xpress magazine on July 6.
The scientists used the method of targeted metabolomics to study the chemical processes in the cells of volunteers. The participants' diets were classified according to the Nova system, which divides products into four groups — from unprocessed to ultra-pasteurized and multicomponent industrial products. The levels of metabolites and fatty acids were measured in blood samples.
It turned out that the consumption of fast food, sugary carbonated drinks and ready-made snacks correlated with the levels of 22 circulating metabolites. A high level of consumption of such products is associated with the accumulation of certain lipids, indicating a violation of fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial dysfunction. At the same time, the concentration of lipids necessary for the stability and permeability of cell membranes decreased.
Jessica Blanco-Lopez, author of the study
These results have several important implications. The simultaneous decrease in protective fatty acids and increased metabolic stress suggest that consumption of ultraprocessed foods may contribute to health risks through nutrient substitution and provoking metabolic failure.
Changes in eight fatty acids were also found in the participants' blood plasma. Fans of deep processing have recorded high levels of stearic acid, which usually indicates an excess of saturated fats in the diet or metabolic problems.
This biochemical signature confirms that even with a low level of exposure to industrial fats, they continue to circulate in the circulatory system. According to scientists, such a diet stimulates the synthesis of endogenous lipids, including cholesterol, and suppresses healthy fat processing.
The researchers emphasize that the work is observational in nature and captures the health status of people at one time point. In this regard, scientists cannot unequivocally state that it was food that became the direct cause of changes in blood, but they confirm the existence of a stable link between these factors.
On July 7, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on the association of junk food consumption with a decrease in brain volume. According to the study, a 10% increase in the consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with a 1.92% decrease in the volume of subcortical structures.
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