Mixed
Consuming low nutritive value foods (defined by high saturated fat, sugar, or sodium thresholds) is associated with increased body mass index, waist circumference, and unfavorable lipid profiles (higher triglycerides and cholesterol:HDL ratio) in adults.
To improve your lipid profile and reduce waist circumference, focus on reducing foods high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium (like pastries, alcohol, sweets, and chips). These foods make up nearly 30% of the average diet in this population and are directly linked to higher BMI and worse cholesterol ratios. Replacing these with nutrient-dense options can improve health markers even without immediate weight loss.
In fully-adjusted linear regression models, increments of 250 kcal/d from low nutritive value foods were associated with higher body mass index (+ 1.7 kg/m2; 95%CI 1.2 to 2.2), higher waist circumference (+ 0.6 cm; 95%CI, 0.1 to 1.1), cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio (+ 0.12 mmol/L; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.24 and triglycerides (+ 7.8%; 95%CI, 3.0 to 12.8).
Why this rating
Cross-sectional observational study; associations are significant but causality cannot be established due to study design.
Source
Consumption of low nutritive value foods and cardiometabolic risk factors among French-speaking adults from Quebec, Canada: the PREDISE study
Didier Brassard et al. · Nutrition Journal · 2019
DOI 10.1186/s12937-019-0474-y
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