Ultra-processed foods – the worst thing for health

Cancer cases have been increasing steadily for a long time. Type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in recent years. The number of food sensitivities showed a sharp increase. ADHD, dementia, etc. are becoming more and more common. Caring for Sørmland is overburdened and the waiting lines for care are long. This development cannot continue like this. We must reverse this trend, promote health, and reduce the burden and costs of care in the Sørmland region.

To do this we have to look at the cause of the disease. For example, many research studies show that the risk of many diseases increases if you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed food is food that has undergone an industrial processing process and has an ingredient list that contains ingredients that are not found at home in the kitchen. The purpose of ultra-processed foods is often to create products with a long shelf life and usually to change color, taste, and/or texture so that the product is attractive and easy to consume. According to the Swedish Food Agency and research studies, some examples of ultra-processed foods are: industrially processed sweets, soft drinks, energy drinks, ice cream, potato chips, factory-made cakes, breakfast cereals, sausage products, and dried foods such as soup. .

In a major new British research study published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, the diet and health of 197,426 participants, of whom 54.6% were women, between the ages of 40 and 69, were analyzed over a period of 9.8 years. It was found that people who ate large amounts of ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of developing cancer overall. For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed foods, the risk of cancer increases by 2 percent, especially ovarian cancer, by 19 percent. According to the research study, ultra-processed foods are of poor nutritional quality, often containing high levels of salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats, as well as low levels of fiber, which increases the risk of obesity. It is a risk factor for many types of cancer. Ultra-processed foods can also contain cancer-causing additives, as well as chemicals formed during industrial food production and materials from packaging.

But according to a research study in The Lancet, at least 50% of cancer cases are preventable, and a healthy diet is key there! In general, the choice of diet is of great importance for health.

In medical education in Sweden, most nutritional education has long been removed. So today’s doctors with a Swedish medical education do not have the educational basis from medical education to say anything about proper nutrition for their patients. Only doctors with medical training can see the whole person. A dietitian has no medical training. So an important basis for better health, reduced disease risk and dietary change in case of illness is the reintroduction of nutritional education into Swedish medical education. If we can reverse the increasing trend of disease, we will suffer a lot less and Sørmland will have a lower burden of care and lower costs.