Children who consume a lot of ultra-processed foods are at risk of a serious chronic condition, according to researchers from Spain.
The new study found that kids who get 30 percent of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods—such as sugary cereal, soda, packaged Cheez-Its or fruit snacks—are four times more likely to develop asthma.
The researchers said they thought the inflammation caused by ultra-processed foods might irritate the lungs in a way that isn’t related to an allergic reaction.
“These findings highlight the need for public health policies aimed at limiting processed food consumption in children’s diets as a preventive strategy,” the researchers wrote.
Ultra-processed foods have a well-documented history of causing health issues and Americans are increasingly becoming addicted to them.
Ultra-processed foods are designed to target vulnerabilities within the human brain, exploiting pleasure centers in the brain in a way that makes foods like hot dogs, chips and American cheese very addictive.
Ashley Gearhardt, a professor at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek in 2021 that the food industry has turned refined and processed sugars and fats into “really potent vehicles.
“Then we combine them into totally novel food products that are so much more rewarding than anything our brains ever evolved to handle,” Gearhardt continued.
“That’s why so many of us can’t stop eating them.”
Read the complete article at Newsweek
