Foods in the typical British diet may increase the risk of deadly cardiovascular diseases, two new studies have found.

This was in twin presentations at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam.

The researchers revealed that consuming ultra-processed food (UPF) such as cereals, fizzy drinks, and fast food significantly raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Food campaigner Henry Dimbleby said the results should be a wake-up call for the UK.

He told The Guardian: “Given that UPF represents 55 per cent of our diet, that should be a wake-up call.

“If there is something inherent in the processing of foods that is harmful, then that is a disaster.

“Britain is particularly bad for ultra-processed food. It is storing up problems for the future. If we do nothing, a tidal wave of harm is going to hit the NHS.’’

The Guardian reports that Anushriya Pant, a researcher involved with one of the studies, told reporters in Amsterdam that many people are unaware of what foods may be putting them in danger.

She said: “It could be that foods you think are healthy are actually contributing to you developing high blood pressure.’’

Ms Pant added that many people assumed some UPF, such as store-bought sandwiches, wraps, soups, and low-fat yoghurts, were healthier choices when compared to junk food.

She and her fellow researchers from the University of Sydney studied the impact of the increased consumption of UPF on more than 10,000 middle-aged women during the last 15 years.

They found that 39 per cent of women were more likely to develop high blood pressure when compared with those with the lowest intake of ultra-processed food.

Those who ate the most UPF were nearly 25 per cent more likely to suffer from a heart attack, stroke, or angina.

The second study, presented by Yang Qu on behalf of the researchers at China’s Fourth Military Medical University, found that out.

Additionally, researchers found increasing the intake of UPF by a mere 10 per cent saw the risk of heart disease jump significantly.

The team also discovered that those who had less than 15 per cent of their diet made up of UPF were the least at risk of suffering from heart-related medical problems. 

(dpa/NAN)