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Published on: August 7, 2017
The association between ultra-processed food consumption and low-grade inflammation in childhood: A cross-sectional
Burak Mete1, Hatice Merve Sadıkoğlu1, Hakan Demirhindi1
1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Insights
Higher intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is linked to increased low-grade inflammation in children. This association persists independently of obesity, highlighting UPF
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Inflammation Biomarkers
- Dietary Assessment
Background:
- Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly prevalent in children's diets.
- Low-grade inflammation is a growing concern in pediatric health.
- Understanding dietary contributors to inflammation is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and low-grade inflammation in children.
- To determine if obesity mediates the relationship between UPF intake and inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 50 healthy children (aged 5-17 years).
- Dietary intake assessed via three 24-hour recalls and analyzed for UPF content using BeBiS™ software.
- Low-grade inflammation quantified using the INFLA-score.
Main Results:
- UPF constituted 24.5% of children's daily energy intake.
- Children with higher INFLA-scores consumed significantly more UPF (grams and % energy).
- A positive correlation was observed between INFLA-score and UPF intake (percentage energy, average energy, and average amount).
- Each 1% increase in daily energy from UPF correlated with a 0.154-unit increase in INFLA-score.
- Obesity did not mediate the UPF-inflammation link; the association was direct.
- UPF consumption increased progressively across inflammation score quartiles.
Conclusions:
- A significant positive association exists between ultra-processed food consumption and low-grade inflammation in children.
- This relationship is independent of obesity status.
- Reducing UPF intake may be a strategy to mitigate inflammation in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the amount of ultra-processed food (UPF) in the diet and low-grade inflammation in children. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 50 healthy children recruited from children attending the Social Paediatrics Outpatient Clinic for follow-up of normal developmental stages. Low-grade inflammation was calculated by INFLA-score, dietary intake by three 24-h dietary recalls and dietary content analyses by BeBiS™ software. The mean age of the 50 children included in our study was 10.18 ± 3.98 years (5-17 years). UPF accounted for 24.5% of the total daily energy intake of children. In children with higher inflammation scores (INFLA-score ≥ 2), the amount in grams of UPF and the percentage of total energy from UPF were found to be significantly higher (p = 0.030 and p = 0.015, respectively). A weak positive correlation was found between the INFLA-score and the percentage of daily dietary energy intake coming from UPFs (r = 0.350, p < 0.01), the average daily energy intake from UPFs (r = 0.313, p < 0.05), and the average daily amount of UPF consumed (r = 0.260, p < 0.05). The linear regression model revealed that every one-unit increase (1%) in the percentage of total daily energy intake coming from UPF caused an increase in β = 0.154-unit in the INFLA-score. It was found that obesity was not a mediator in the association between the percentages of total energy intake from UPF on the INFLA-score, instead, the energy intake from UPF had a significant direct association with the INFLA-score. The average amount of UPF consumed daily showed an increasing pattern in parallel with inflammation-score quartile classes (Q1 to Q4) with 33.3% in Q1, 38.5% in Q2, 53.8% in Q3 and 66.7% in Q4 (p = 0.049). In conclusion, a positive association was found between low-grade inflammation and UPF consumption in children, independent of obesity.
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