THE HIGH CONSUMPTION OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER MUSCLE MASS IN BRAZILIAN ADOLESCENTS IN THE RPS BIRTH COHORT
Poliana Cristinade Almeida Fonseca Nutrition Available online 18 August 2020,
HIGHLIGHTS
• The findings are unprecedented and help answer questions from the scientific community about the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and overweight among adolescents;
• The body composition of Brazilian adolescents was assessed using devices with high validity methods (air displacement plethysmography measured with the equipment BOD POD® Gold Standard, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry);
• The increase in ultra-processed foods in the diet of Brazilian adolescents was associated; with a decrease in muscle mass, even after adjusting for confounding factors;
Objective
To investigate the association between percent contribution of ultra-processed foods to total dietary energy intake and measurements of body composition obtained using high validity methods.
Research Methods & Procedures
Cross-sectional study with 1525 adolescents aged 18-19 years old from the second follow-up of the 1997/98 São Luís birth cohort, Brazil. To evaluate nutritional status and body composition, the Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age was used, along with waist circumference, total and android body fat percentage, muscle mass, and Lean Mass Index (LMI). Food consumption was evaluated by a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Food items were grouped according to the level of processing according to the NOVA classification. Through semi-structured questionnaires, sociodemographic and lifestyle data were abstracted. Adjusted linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations between consumption of ultra-processed foods and body composition measurements.
Results
Total average energy consumption was 2,919.7 kcal, with 58% (1,634.9 kcal) derived from natural or minimally processed foods and 37% (1,136.5 kcal) from ultra-processed products. In the adjusted analyses, BMI, muscle mass, and LMI were inversely associated with consumption of ultra-processed foods. A 1% increase in the percent contribution of ultra-processed items to total dietary energy intake was associated with a 0.04 kg decrease in muscle mass (b= -0,04; CI95%= -0.06 – -0.02; p-value <0.001) and a 0.01 kg/m2 decrease in Lean Body Mass (b= -0.01; CI95%= -0.02 – -0.01; p-value <0.001).
Conclusion
The contribution of ultra-processed foods to total dietary energy intake of Brazilian adolescents was associated with body composition, especially with decreasing lean body mass.