Associations of minimally processed and ultra-processed food intakes with cardiovascular health in Korean adults: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), 2013–2015

Background: Although recent studies have suggested the adverse effects of processed foods on cardiovascular disease, few studies have been conducted on the effects of food processing on cardiovascular health (CVH) in Koreans. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations of minimally processed foods (MPF) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) intakes with CVH. Methods: We used the data of 6945 adults (≥19) from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. MPF and UPF intakes were based on the NOVA food classification. Using Life’s simple 7 (LS7) proposed by the American Heart Association, the CVH indicator was estimated as the sum (0–12) of the scores of six components. Multiple linear and multinomial logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between processed food intakes and CVH. Results: The mean (standard error) of MPF and UPF intake was 61.28 (0.28) and 20.27 (0.24) %kcal/day, respectively. After adjusting for sex, age, household income, educational attainment, family history of CVD, and stress, we found significant positive associations between MPF intake and CVH (p value < 0.001), while associations between UPF intake and CVH were significantly negative (p value < 0.001). Moreover, the magnitude of the observed association was more distinctive in females (p-interaction < 0.01) and with increasing age (p-interaction < 0.001). Conclusions: A high intake of MPF is associated with improved CVH, while a high intake of UPF is associated with poorer CVH in Korean adults. Therefore, public health policies should be established to promote the choice of less processed foods to improve CVH among South Korean adults. Impact Statement: In modern society, processed foods have become ubiquitous and South Korea’s consumption of processed foods is very high. This study had shown that the more processed a food is, the more negative impact it can have on cardiovascular health. Therefore, researching the effects of processed foods on the human body can increase understanding of population health and aid in the development of prevention and treatment strategies.