Revealed, the REAL reason junk food is so bad for us: Harmful molecules in chopped and refrigerated products raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes
Revealed, the REAL reason junk food is so bad for us: Harmful
molecules in chopped and refrigerated products raise the risk of heart
disease and diabetes
- Scientists have found damaging bacterial molecules that are undetectable in fresh foods, but abundant in junk food and processed items
- Affected foods include ready-chopped veg, pasta sauces and sandwiches
- The molecules, called 'pathogen-associated molecular patterns' (PAMPs) may increase the risk of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes
- Finding also paves the way for healthier junk food, researchers say
By Madlen Davies for MailOnline
Published: 18:39 GMT, 9 February 2016 | Updated: 01:25 GMT, 10 February 2016
Scientists
say they have cracked what makes processed foods like burgers and ready
meals harmful, paving the way for healthier junk food.
They have
identified damaging bacterial molecules which are undetectable in fresh
foods, but abundant in junk food and processed foods like ready-chopped
vegetables, pasta sauces and sandwiches.
This suggests they grow during manufacturing process, where food is chopped and refrigerated.
The
molecules, called ‘pathogen-associated molecular patterns’ (PAMPs) may
increase the risk of conditions such as coronary artery disease and type
2 diabetes.
It is thought they cause our immune systems to overreact, damaging our health.
Scientists
have discovered harmful molecules called ‘pathogen-associated molecular
patterns’ (PAMPs) which may increase the risk of disease. They are
undetectable in fresh foods (left), but abundant in junk food and
processed foods like minced meat and ready-chopped vegetables (right)
In fact, the reductions in waist circumference and white cell count from a low
PAMP diet may be equivalent to lowering a person's risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 15 per cent, the researchers said.
They now hope to find ways of removing PAMPs, thereby making food healthier without changing the taste or cost.
Lead
researcher Dr Clett Erridge, of the University of Leicester, said: 'It
has been understood for many years that frequent consumption of highly
processed foods, particularly processed meats, is associated with
increased risk of developing a range of diseases, including
cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.'
Now, he and his team have uncovered the mechanism by which processed foods increase the risk of developing these diseases.
THE HARMFUL MOLECULES THAT GROW WHEN FOOD IS PROCESSED
Scientists discovered processed foods contain harmful bacterial molecules.
Called
‘pathogen-associated molecular patterns’ (PAMPs), they are believed to
raise the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
When food is absolutely fresh, including any type of meat, fruit or vegetable, it contains undetectable levels of PAMPs.
However,
once it has been chopped finely, especially if minced, the PAMP content
rises rapidly, day on day, even when stored at refrigeration
temperature.
They grow in food during the manufacturing process, when it is chopped and refrigerated.
Researchers
found high levels of PAMPs in processed foods like minced meat,
sausages, burgers and ready meals (especially lasagne, bolognese).
Pasta
sauces, sandwiches, some cheeses, chocolate and some types of
ready-chopped vegetables, such as onions, also contain high levels.
They
discovered that contaminating molecules arise in processed foods from
the overgrowth of a specific type of bacteria during refrigeration or
food manufacturing.
'These can cause our immune systems to
over-react in a manner that might be damaging to health when we eat
foods containing these molecules,' he said.
Dr Erridge and his team
tested volunteers on a diet low in PAMPs for one week, and discovered it
had vastly beneficial effects on their health.
Firstly, their white blood cell count was reduced by 11 per cent.
A
high white blood cell count can indicate another problem, such as
infection, stress, inflammation, trauma, allergy, or certain diseases.
Additionally, their 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by 18 per cent.
If maintained, the reductions would be equivalent to lowering the risk of coronary artery disease by more than 40 per cent.
The volunteers also lost an average of 1.3lbs (0.6kg) in weight, and 1.5cm from around their waists.
+2
It
is believed PAMPs grow during manufacturing process, where food is
chopped, minced and refrigerated. Scientists believe identifying where
they arise could pave the way for the creation of healthy junk food
The
reductions in waist circumference and white cell count are equivalent
to lowering their risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 15 per cent,
researchers said.
When the same volunteers were fed food
enriched in PAMPs, the beneficial changes were reversed, highlighting
how the molecules are bad for our health.
The researchers believe their new method of detecting PAMPs could be used by food manufacturers.
It
would allow them to help identify where in the manufacturing process
the PAMP molecules are arising, such as which machines or which raw
materials are introducing them.
Dr Erridge said: 'Crucially,
we have found that some processed foods do not contain these molecules,
and our results suggest it should be possible to manufacture almost any
current foo in a manner that results in a low content of harmful PAMP
molecules.
'Our method can also be used to monitor progress in efforts to clean up the production process.'
The study was published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3439255/Revealed-REAL-reason-junk-food-bad-Harmful-molecules-chopped-refrigerated-products-raise-risk-heart-disease-diabetes.html#ixzz40EnL5zta
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