The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has surged globally, raising significant public health concerns due to their associations with a range of adverse health outcomes. This review aims to elucidate potential health impacts of UPF intake and underscore the importance of considering diet quality when interpreting study findings. UPF group, as classified by the Nova system based on the extent of industrial processing, contains numerous individual food items with a wide spectrum of nutrient profiles, as well as differential quality as reflected by their potential health effects. The quality of a given food may well misalign with the processing levels so that a UPF food can be nutritious and healthful whereas a non-UPF food can be of low quality and excess intake of which may lead to adverse health consequences. The current review argues that it is critical to focus on the nutritional content and quality of foods and their role within the overall dietary pattern rather than only the level of processing. Further research should dissect health effects of diet quality and food processing, investigate the health impacts of ingredients that render the UPF categorization, understand roles of metabolomics and the gut microbiome in mediating and modulating the health effects of food processing, and consider environmental sustainability in UPF studies. Emphasizing nutrient-dense healthful foods and dietary patterns shall remain the pivotal strategy for promoting overall health and preventing chronic diseases.
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Social determinants of health and type 2 diabetes in Asia Kyunghun Sung, Seung‐Hwan Lee Journal of Diabetes Investigation.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Jannica S. Selenius, Patricia P. Silveira, Mikaela von Bonsdorff, Jari Lahti, Hannu Koistinen, Riitta Koistinen, Markku Seppälä, Johan G. Eriksson, Niko S. Wasenius
Diabetes Metab J. 2024;48(5):960-970. Published online March 25, 2024
Background To investigate associations between variations in the co-expression-based brain insulin receptor polygenic score and cardiometabolic risk factors and diabetes mellitus.
Methods This cross-sectional study included 1,573 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Biologically informed expression-based polygenic risk scores for the insulin receptor gene network were calculated for the hippocampal (hePRS-IR) and the mesocorticolimbic (mePRS-IR) regions. Cardiometabolic markers included body composition, waist circumference, circulating lipids, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 and 3 (IGFBP-1 and -3). Glucose and insulin levels were measured during a standardized 2-hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and impaired glucose regulation status was defined by the World Health Organization 2019 criteria. Analyzes were adjusted for population stratification, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, chronic diseases, birth weight, and leisure-time physical activity.
Results Multinomial logistic regression indicated that one standard deviation increase in hePRS-IR was associated with increased risk of diabetes mellitus in all participants (adjusted relative risk ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.35). In women, higher hePRS-IR was associated with greater waist circumference and higher body fat percentage, levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, insulin, and IGFBP-1 (all P≤0.02). The mePRS-IR was associated with decreased IGF-1 level in women (P=0.02). No associations were detected in men and studied outcomes.
Conclusion hePRS-IR is associated with sex-specific differences in cardiometabolic risk factor profiles including impaired glucose regulation, abnormal metabolic markers, and unfavorable body composition in women.
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A mesocorticolimbic insulin receptor gene co-expression network moderates the association between early life adversity and food approach eating behaviour style in childhood Angela Marcela Jaramillo-Ospina, Roberta Dalle Molle, Sachin Patel, Shona Kelly, Irina Pokhvisneva, Carolina de Weerth, Patrícia Pelufo Silveira Appetite.2025; 204: 107762. CrossRef