All articles tagged with #dietary exposure
Lead, a toxic metal naturally present in the environment and introduced through human activities, can contaminate food, especially if crops are grown in contaminated soil or areas with pollution. While zero exposure is unlikely, reducing intake through a diverse, nutrient-rich diet and choosing brands that test for lead can help protect vulnerable populations, particularly children and women of childbearing age.
A systematic umbrella review of existing meta-analyses evaluated the associations between exposure to ultra-processed foods and adverse health outcomes. The review identified 45 unique pooled analyses, finding direct associations between ultra-processed food exposure and various health parameters, including mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes. The evidence suggests that greater exposure to ultra-processed food is associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, particularly cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes, providing support for public health measures to target and reduce dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods for improved human health.