Emerging evidence suggests that the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) plays a role in the development of chronic diseases, but evidence of their influence in children is limited. Our objective was to study longitudinal trends of UPF intake and determine their impact on blood lipids in young children. The present study was a follow-up of a randomised field trial of children (n 308) from Porto Alegre, Brazil. Dietary intake was collected using two 24-h recalls at 3 and 6 years of age, and consumption of UPF was classified according to the NOVA system, a food classification based on the extent and purpose of industrial food processing. At age 6 years, blood tests were performed to measure lipid profile. Contribution of UPF to total energy intake increased by 10 % during the follow-up period, from 43·4 % at 3 years to 47·7 % at 6 years of age. Linear regression models showed that children in the highest tertile of UPF consumption at age 3 years had higher levels of total cholesterol (TC; β 0·22 mmol/l; 95 % CI 0·04, 0·39) and TAG at age 6 years (β 0·11 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) compared with those in the lowest tertile. A positive dose–response was observed for an absolute increment of 10 % of UPF on TC (β 0·07 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·00, 0·14) and TAG (β 0·04 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·07). Based on our data, consumption of UPF increased significantly over time and was associated with higher blood lipid levels in children from a low-income community. Our findings highlight the need for effective strategies to minimise the consumption of UPF in early life.

中文翻译：

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超加工食品与儿童血脂的纵向关联

新出现的证据表明，超加工食品 (UPF) 的消费在慢性疾病的发展中发挥作用，但其对儿童影响的证据有限。我们的目标是研究 UPF 摄入量的纵向趋势，并确定它们对幼儿血脂的影响。本研究是一项针对儿童的随机田间试验的后续研究（n308）来自巴西阿雷格里港。在 3 岁和 6 岁时使用两次 24 小时召回收集膳食摄入量，并根据 NOVA 系统对 UPF 的消费进行分类，这是一种基于工业食品加工范围和目的的食品分类。在 6 岁时，进行了血液检查以测量血脂谱。在随访期间，UPF 对总能量摄入的贡献增加了 10%，从 3 岁时的 43·4 % 增加到 6 岁时的 47·7 %。线性回归模型显示，UPF 消费量最高的 3 岁儿童的总胆固醇 (TC;β0·22 毫摩尔/升；95 % CI 0·04, 0·39) 和 6 岁时的 TAG (β0·11 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) 与最低三分位数的比较。对于 TC 上 10% 的 UPF 绝对增量，观察到阳性剂量反应（β0·07 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·00, 0·14) 和 TAG (β0·04 毫摩尔/升，95 % CI 0·01，0·07）。根据我们的数据，UPF 的消费量随着时间的推移显着增加，并且与低收入社区儿童的血脂水平升高有关。我们的研究结果强调需要有效的策略来最大限度地减少生命早期 UPF 的消耗。