A study finds that women who regularly eat ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are at a greater risk of developing a debilitating autoimmune disease.
One study found that people who ate diets high in these foods — which are loaded with artificial sweeteners and preservatives — were 56 percent more likely to develop lupus, which leads to joint pain, skin rashes and fatigue.
And people who regularly consumed artificially sweetened drinks and sugary foods were also 45 percent more likely to develop the condition.
The study by researchers at Harvard University in the US also found no link between obesity and lupus, suggesting that the artificial ingredients in UPFs are the culprits.
UPFs, such as those found in ready-made meals, ice cream and some frozen foods, have previously been linked to a number of life-threatening diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
Women who regularly eat ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are at a greater risk of developing a debilitating autoimmune disease, a study finds (Stock image)
In one study, people who ate a diet rich in these foods — which are loaded with artificial sweeteners and preservatives — were 56 percent more likely to develop lupus, which leads to joint pain, skin rashes and fatigue (Stock image)
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the body.
Research has shown that around one in a thousand people in the UK have lupus, and 90 per cent of sufferers are women.
Although its cause is not fully understood, it has long been linked to viral infections, certain medications, sunlight and menopause.
But research from Harvard, published in the medical journal Arthritis Care And Research, suggests there may be a link between the disease and eating foods containing artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives.
However, Professor Gunter Kuhnle from the University of Reading warned that the research may not be conclusive.
‘Ultra-processed foods may be one of the risk factors [for lupus] “But there are probably other factors that may be more important,” he explained.
‘People who eat a lot of fat and sugar are more likely to develop other conditions.
‘They are already less healthy and that may be one of the reasons why this group of women develop lupus.’
