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The share of ultra-processed foods determines the overall nutritional quality of diet in British vegetarians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2024

Beatriz Menezes de Albuquerque Torquato
Affiliation:
Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246 903, Brazil
Mariana Madruga
Affiliation:
Department of Acquisition and Distribution of Healthy Foods, National Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security, Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family, and Hunger Combat, Brasília 70054-906, Brazil
Renata Bertazzi Levy
Affiliation:
Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246 903, Brazil
Maria Laura da Costa Louzada
Affiliation:
Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
Fernanda Rauber*
Affiliation:
Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246 903, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author: Fernanda Rauber, email [email protected]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the dietary intake of British vegetarians according to the Nova classification and to evaluate the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the nutritional quality of the diet. We used data from the UK national survey (2008/2019). Food collected through a 4-d record were classified according to the Nova system. In all tertiles of the energy contribution of ultra-processed foods, differences in the average nutrient intake, as well as in the prevalence of inadequate intake, were analysed, considering the values recommended by international authorities. Ultra-processed foods had the highest dietary contribution (56·3 % of energy intake), followed by fresh or minimally processed foods (29·2 %), processed foods (9·4 %) and culinary ingredients (5 %). A positive linear trend was found between the contribution tertiles of ultra-processed foods and the content of free sugars (β 0·25, P < 0·001), while an inverse relationship was observed for dietary fibre (β –0·26, P = 0·002), potassium (β –0·38, P < 0·001), Mg (β –0·31, P < 0·001), Cu (β –0·22, P < 0·003), vitamin A (β –0·37, P < 0·001) and vitamin C (β –0·22, P < 0·001). As the contribution of ultra-processed foods to total energy intake increased (from the first to the last tertile of consumption), the prevalence of inadequate intake of free sugars increased (from 32·9 % to 60·7 %, respectively), as well as the prevalence of inadequate fibre intake (from 26·1 % to 47·5 %). The influence of ultra-processed foods on the vegetarian diet in the UK is of considerable magnitude, and the consumption of this food was associated with poorer diet quality.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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