Half of children's diet is ultra-processed: how does it affect their health?

Last October, a study by the University College of London concluded that 59% of the calories in the diet of British children came from ultra-processed foods. After reading the news, many Spaniards may have thought: “this doesn’t happen here.” But, unfortunately, they were wrong. A few weeks ago, the media reported on a study by the Rovira i Virgili University —this time focused on the Spanish child population—, which stated the following: ultra-processed foods make up 40% of the schoolchildren’s menu.

The data is worrying. It is corroborated by the many studies on the health consequences of eating these industrial formulations. “The consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with a huge number of metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, some types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases,” explains Javier Sánchez Perona, a CSIC scientist and author of Los alimentos ultraprocesados ​​(Catarata).

Because these products are so palatable, children lose interest in foods with more natural flavours. Dr. Susana Domínguez Pediatrics at the MútuaTerrassa University Hospital.

Of all the pathologies, obesity is the one that presents the greatest risk associated with the consumption of these products. A systematic review that analyzed articles published from 2000 to April 2020 observed a positive association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in 75% of the selected works. “Obesity is a multifactorial disease, in which dietary habits play a tremendously important role,” warns Sánchez.

And if exposure to ultra-processed foods begins in childhood, the likelihood of developing the aforementioned diseases increases. “Because these products are so palatable (i.e. tasty), children lose interest in conventional foods, with more natural flavours or textures, less sweet and salty, which are not so attractive initially,” explains Dr. Susana Domínguez, from the paediatric service at the MútuaTerrassa University Hospital.

Domínguez adds to the risks already mentioned others. “Recent studies have linked the alteration of the intestinal microbiota of children and the population that consumes many ultra-processed foods, with colonization or infection by a specific type of virus. This was related to the presence of two amino acids and, specifically, dopamine, which plays a fundamental role in regulating the brain's reward system, involved in behaviors such as food addiction. Although more research is needed.”

The list of drawbacks of consuming these products is long and experts are clear: there is no safe dose of ultra-processed foods. The recommendation of most dieticians-nutritionists remains that the less the better, especially since today's children already run the risk of living less than their parents due to their bad habits.

If they change their habits, it is reasonable to think that today's children will have a shorter life expectancy. Javier Sánchez Perona, CSIC scientist and author of 'Ultra-processed foods'

“The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is higher than when their parents were children and even higher than when their grandparents were children,” says Sánchez. “Given that obesity is associated with a multitude of pathologies, if habits are not changed, it is reasonable to think that children today will have a shorter life expectancy,” he predicts.

Ultra-processed foods, the kings of breakfast and snacks

Dr. Susana Domínguez says that, nowadays, “ultra-processed foods are available to everyone, anywhere, at any time.” But it is at breakfast and snack time where they tend to be most present.

A group of researchers from FoodLab at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya concluded in a recent study that 78% of schoolchildren consume unhealthy snacks, with lots of sugar and ultra-processed foods. To do so, they analysed 2,163 snacks from 734 Catalan families with children aged 3-12.

The Catalan Public Health Agency recommends that these meals should prioritise fresh fruit, whole grain flour and dairy products, “and there is no problem in also including vegetables, nuts or protein foods, such as eggs, cheese or hummus, as well as healthy fats such as olive oil,” explains the expert.

On the other hand, the intake of juices and sugary drinks should be reduced, “which are related to an increase in body mass index (BMI) in children.” Recently, researchers from the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School concluded that drinking a daily glass of 100% fruit juice is associated with weight gain in children. They obtained the data after reviewing more than forty studies, which gathered information from 45,851 children and 268,095 adults.

According to Dominguez Some good filling options for the sandwich can be cheese or tortilla.

“You should also avoid biscuits, cereals, industrial pastries, bagged snacks and all derivatives or analogues,” says the doctor. And be careful with products marketed as “dietary” or “organic.” An example is biscuits with a lower fat or sugar content, rich in fibre, with minerals, omega-3, etc. “Although there is a possibility that these foods are less harmful than their conventional counterparts, there is no scientific evidence in this regard,” says Javier Sánchez Perona.

In the case of sandwiches, whether they are healthy depends on whether the bread is whole grain and what it contains. For Domínguez, a good option may be to fill them with cheese, tortilla or turkey.

The recipe for healthy eating for children

Parents are by no means the only ones to blame for their children eating so many ultra-processed foods. The problem is multifactorial. But setting an example by having breakfast with them and prioritizing the healthy foods mentioned above will always be advisable.

To reverse the situation, the Government's role is key, although for the moment "its actions are insufficient," says Domínguez. For Sánchez, the NAOS Strategy of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), which is nearly 20 years old, "has come to nothing, at least as far as ultra-processed foods are concerned." The expert insists that it must be taken into account that when it was promoted, the term ultra-processed did not exist, so there are practically no policies directed at this issue.

On the other hand, the National Food Strategy in Spain was published last week, but with regard to ultra-processed foods it only proposes developing a harmonised regulatory framework at the European Union level to establish classification criteria. “We have sufficient scientific evidence to take firmer steps in this direction than those that have been taken so far,” laments the expert.