Study limitations
Aviva Musicus, ScD, the science director for the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said the Dr. Hecht et al. meta-analysis suggests there could be a signal in the association between higher ultra-processed food consumption and IBD, but there’s also a lot of “noise” in this presentation.
It’s not clear from these analyses presented what might be driving the relationship between IBD and ultra-processed food, she said. “Is it the nutrient content of these foods, given that many are high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat and low in dietary fiber (potential risk factors for IBD)? Is it the emulsifiers used in some of these foods, or other chemicals added during processing? Or, is it something else?” Dr. Musicus said.
She said further studies are needed on the issue of ultra-processed food and IBD.
“I wasn’t convinced by the conclusion of this research abstract. It’s not clear to me that general reductions in UPF (ultra-processed foods) consumption could meaningfully decrease the incidence of IBD, given that it may be a subset of these (somewhat heterogeneous) foods driving the associations, and people may not reduce their consumption of that specific subset upon hearing this news,” Dr. Musicus said.
“However, we already know that consumers can reduce chronic disease risk by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (good sources of dietary fiber) and limiting consumption of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat,” she added.
Miguel Regueiro, MD, chair of the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at Cleveland Clinic, agreed with the need for further study. There are limitations with the methodology used in the research from Dr. Hecht and colleagues, he said.
“Meta-analyses aren’t perfect and I think we all acknowledge that,” he said, adding that the Hecht poster provides “a larger perspective on the topic.”
There’s widespread agreement that ultraprocessed foods are not healthy, raising heart and cancer risks, he said. In counseling his patients, Dr. Regueiro said he acknowledges the challenges many people face in trying to pursue a healthier diet. Ultraprocessed foods tend to be cheap and readily available, and many people need help in spotting them, such as learning to look at labels for unfamiliar terms.
“What I tell my own patients in the clinic is to really try to clean up the diet as much as possible and in a realistic way,” he said.
The authors of the ACG poster did not report any financial conflicts. Dr. Hecht said he founded the Institute for Etiological Research to pursue questions about public health. Its funders include the Bertarelli Foundation.