In a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine , researchers review the adverse effects of Western diets on human health. Review: Western diets and chronic diseases . Image Credit Shutterstock The real cost of processed foods Outside of nations like the United States and Western Europe, increased consumption of processed food products that are high in refined sugars, fats, and salts has been observed throughout the world.
This shift in dietary habits, which is often referred to as the ‘Westernization of diets,’ has been largely attributed to the affordability and availability of these food products. Despite the economic benefits associated with consuming a Western diet, the consistent consumption of these food products can increase an individual’s risk of both chronic and noncommunicable diseases. These diseases may include, but are not limited to, stroke, ischemic brain disease, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-related steatotic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and colon cancer.
How does the Western diet affect gut health? Several studies have documented the deleterious effects of the Western diet on the composition of the human gut microbiome . The reduced intake of dietary fiber and its replacement with food additives like emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners has led to microbial rarefaction, which refers to a reduction in the diversity and abundance of crucial microorganisms w.