Ultraprocessed beverages and processed meats increase the incidence of hypertension in Mexican women

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2021-08, Vol.126 (4), p.600-611
• Main Authors: Monge, Adriana, Silva Canella, Daniela, López-Olmedo, Nancy, Lajous, Martín, Cortés-Valencia, Adrian, Stern, Dalia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beverages; Blood pressure; Cancer; Cereals; Dairy products; Diet; Dietary intake; Dietary Surveys and Nutritional Epidemiology; Disease; Energy; Energy intake; Fast Foods; Female; Food additives; Food Handling; Food intake; Food processing; Fruit juices; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - etiology; Incidence; Legumes; Meat; Milk; Nutrition research; Oils & fats; Processed foods; Prospective Studies; Public health; Questionnaires; Subgroups; Sugar; Vegetables; Womens health
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114520004432

Higher intake of ultraprocessed foods (UPF), which have undergone multiple processes and have poor nutrient quality, is associated with higher incidence of non-communicable diseases. Yet, its association with hypertension has scarcely been studied, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We aimed to estimate the associations between consumption of UPF (total, liquid and solid) and UPF subgroups and incident hypertension in a prospective cohort study. We used data from the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort including 64 934 disease-free women aged ≥25 years at baseline. We assessed baseline usual dietary intake using a validated FFQ, and each item was categorised according to NOVA, a degree of food processing classification system. UPF and UPF subgroups were categorised according to the distribution of their contribution to total energy intake. Hypertension was self-reported. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their 95 % CI. During a median follow-up of 2·2 years, we identified 3752 incident cases of hypertension. Mean contribution of UPF to total energy intake was 29·8 (SD 9·4) % energy (23·4 (SD 8·9) % solid, 6·4 (SD 4·8) % liquid). Comparing extreme categories showed that higher total and solid UPF consumptions were not associated with incident hypertension (IRR 0·96, 95 % CI 0·79, 1·16; IRR 0·91, 95 % CI 0·82, 1·01, respectively). However, liquid UPF and processed meats were associated with increased hypertension (IRR 1·32, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·65; IRR 1·17, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·36, respectively). Addressing intake of liquid UPF and processed meats may help in managing hypertension in LMIC.