Ultra-processed food production: possible harmful effects even in non-UP foods.
Dear Editor
Both the article “Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes…” [1] and the Editorial ”Reasons to avoid ultra-processed foods”[2] help a lot to understand the dynamics and harmful effects deriving from the consumption of Ultra-processed foods (UP).
I would like to focus on a further point concerning the possibility of pitfalls related to some methods to produce food, even those commonly considered non-UP.
The Maillard reaction is a nonenzymatic reaction that occurs in organisms and food. Catalyzed by heat, this leads to the generation of dark pigments, flavors, and odors related to the cooking, storage, and nutritional value of foods, especially those with high protein content [3].
Among the great variety of molecules or compounds that are formed in this reaction are the advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Particularly, some AGEs such as N-carboxymethyl-lysine, pyrraline, and pentosidine are highly related to binding to cell receptors, receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE), leading to chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis, among others. Recently, natural compounds such as polyphenols (flavonoids, nonflavonoids, and phenolic acids) have been associated with inhibitory effects on AGE formation and blocking AGE-RAGE formation [3].
The interaction between RAGE and its ligands mainly results in a pro-inflammatory response and can lead to stress events often favoring mitochondrial dysfunction or cellular senescence [4].
The relationship between harmful Maillard reaction products in dairy processing and many human chronic diseases have gradually come to the fore. Various harmful Maillard reaction products such as lactulosyl-lysine (furosine), furfurals, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) could be formed during the thermal processing of dairy products, which could lead to various chronic diseases [5].
Food Additives in bread (Emulsifiers, Surfactans, Potassium bromate, and others).
Ingredients such as dough conditioners, crumb softeners, emulsifiers, and surfactants can be added to enhance bread quality [6]. For some of these additives, such as Potassium bromate, there are many reports elucidating its negative impact on human health (potential human carcinogen) [7].
Reflection in conclusion:
It is therefore evident that the altered quality diet, caused by various food production procedures, favors the onset of a series of pathological conditions in the human body that require diagnostic pathways and therapeutic treatments with exorbitant costs.
Therefore, it can be thought that sensitizing patients to adopt both precautions in cooking and in food choices is a valid means of reducing the economic and social costs derived from many degenerative diseases.
REFERENCES :
[1] Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310 (Published 28 February 2024)
[2] Reasons to avoid ultra-processed foods BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q439 (Published 28 February 2024)
[3] Sergio Luis Valle-SánchezRoberto, Rodríguez-Ramírez , et al. : Natural inhibitory compounds of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from the Maillard reaction Chapter 9 in: Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, 7 October 2023. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780443189616000184
[4] Teissier T, Boulanger É. The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is an important pattern recognition receptor (PRR) for inflammaging. Biogerontology. 2019 Jun;20(3):279-301. doi: 10.1007/s10522-019-09808-3. Epub 2019 Apr 9. PMID: 30968282.
[5] Li M, Shen M, Lu J, Yang J, Huang Y, Liu L, Fan H, Xie J, Xie M. Maillard reaction harmful products in dairy products: Formation, occurrence, analysis, and mitigation strategies. Food Res Int. 2022 Jan;151:110839. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110839. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PMID: 34980378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110839
[6] Vargas MCA, Simsek S. Clean Label in Bread. Foods. 2021 Aug 31;10(9):2054. doi: 10.3390/foods10092054. PMID: 34574163; PMCID: PMC8466822.
[7] Shanmugavel V, Komala Santhi K, Kurup AH, Kalakandan S, Anandharaj A, Rawson A. Potassium bromate: Effects on bread components, health, environment and method of analysis: A review. Food Chem. 2020 May 1;311:125964. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125964. Epub 2019 Dec 9. PMID: 31865111.
Rapid Response:
Ultra-processed food production: possible harmful effects even in non-UP foods.
Dear Editor
Both the article “Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes…” [1] and the Editorial ”Reasons to avoid ultra-processed foods”[2] help a lot to understand the dynamics and harmful effects deriving from the consumption of Ultra-processed foods (UP).
I would like to focus on a further point concerning the possibility of pitfalls related to some methods to produce food, even those commonly considered non-UP.
The Maillard reaction is a nonenzymatic reaction that occurs in organisms and food. Catalyzed by heat, this leads to the generation of dark pigments, flavors, and odors related to the cooking, storage, and nutritional value of foods, especially those with high protein content [3].
Among the great variety of molecules or compounds that are formed in this reaction are the advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Particularly, some AGEs such as N-carboxymethyl-lysine, pyrraline, and pentosidine are highly related to binding to cell receptors, receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE), leading to chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis, among others. Recently, natural compounds such as polyphenols (flavonoids, nonflavonoids, and phenolic acids) have been associated with inhibitory effects on AGE formation and blocking AGE-RAGE formation [3].
The interaction between RAGE and its ligands mainly results in a pro-inflammatory response and can lead to stress events often favoring mitochondrial dysfunction or cellular senescence [4].
The relationship between harmful Maillard reaction products in dairy processing and many human chronic diseases have gradually come to the fore. Various harmful Maillard reaction products such as lactulosyl-lysine (furosine), furfurals, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) could be formed during the thermal processing of dairy products, which could lead to various chronic diseases [5].
Food Additives in bread (Emulsifiers, Surfactans, Potassium bromate, and others).
Ingredients such as dough conditioners, crumb softeners, emulsifiers, and surfactants can be added to enhance bread quality [6]. For some of these additives, such as Potassium bromate, there are many reports elucidating its negative impact on human health (potential human carcinogen) [7].
Reflection in conclusion:
It is therefore evident that the altered quality diet, caused by various food production procedures, favors the onset of a series of pathological conditions in the human body that require diagnostic pathways and therapeutic treatments with exorbitant costs.
Therefore, it can be thought that sensitizing patients to adopt both precautions in cooking and in food choices is a valid means of reducing the economic and social costs derived from many degenerative diseases.
REFERENCES :
[1] Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310 (Published 28 February 2024)
[2] Reasons to avoid ultra-processed foods BMJ 2024; 384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q439 (Published 28 February 2024)
[3] Sergio Luis Valle-SánchezRoberto, Rodríguez-Ramírez , et al. : Natural inhibitory compounds of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from the Maillard reaction Chapter 9 in: Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, 7 October 2023. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780443189616000184
[4] Teissier T, Boulanger É. The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is an important pattern recognition receptor (PRR) for inflammaging. Biogerontology. 2019 Jun;20(3):279-301. doi: 10.1007/s10522-019-09808-3. Epub 2019 Apr 9. PMID: 30968282.
[5] Li M, Shen M, Lu J, Yang J, Huang Y, Liu L, Fan H, Xie J, Xie M. Maillard reaction harmful products in dairy products: Formation, occurrence, analysis, and mitigation strategies. Food Res Int. 2022 Jan;151:110839. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110839. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PMID: 34980378.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110839
[6] Vargas MCA, Simsek S. Clean Label in Bread. Foods. 2021 Aug 31;10(9):2054. doi: 10.3390/foods10092054. PMID: 34574163; PMCID: PMC8466822.
[7] Shanmugavel V, Komala Santhi K, Kurup AH, Kalakandan S, Anandharaj A, Rawson A. Potassium bromate: Effects on bread components, health, environment and method of analysis: A review. Food Chem. 2020 May 1;311:125964. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125964. Epub 2019 Dec 9. PMID: 31865111.
Competing interests: No competing interests