New research has found that eating takeaway food frequently is associated with increased dietary inflammation and changes in metabolic risk factors, which could affect long-term heart and metabolic health.
The study, published in Food Science & Nutrition, examined the link between how often people eat takeaway meals, their dietary inflammatory index (DII), and cardiometabolic risks. Researchers used data from 8,556 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2009 and 2018.
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. In the United States, deaths and disabilities related to cardiovascular conditions have risen over the past decade. The study notes that more young people are showing risk factors for these diseases due to a combination of genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices. One key lifestyle factor is the increasing consumption of takeaway food among younger and middle-aged adults.
Takeaway foods are typically high in calories but low in nutrients like fruits and vegetables. This pattern is linked to higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels. Chronic low-level inflammation plays a central role in heart disease development. Diets rich in fat—such as those common with frequent takeaway food consumption—can increase markers of inflammation.
The researchers looked at whether eating takeaway food was connected to higher DII scores after adjusting for total energy intake. They also analyzed links between takeaway habits and several metabolic indicators: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin levels, insulin resistance, cardiac metabolic index (CMI), and visceral adiposity index (VAI).
Findings showed that people who ate takeaway food six or more times per week had higher energy-adjusted DII scores compared to those who consumed it once a week or less. "Reducing high-frequency TFC and lowering dietary inflammatory potential may improve cardiometabolic health at a population level," according to the study authors.
Those with higher rates of takeaway food consumption generally had lower HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), higher triglyceride levels, increased fasting blood sugar levels, greater weight and height, higher insulin levels, and more insulin resistance. These effects were particularly notable among women.
While there was no significant rise in mortality rates directly linked to frequent takeaway consumption during the study period, individuals with higher DII scores did show an increased risk for all-cause mortality and a trend toward greater heart disease deaths.
The study's authors caution that because this was an observational analysis based on cross-sectional data rather than long-term tracking, causality cannot be established yet. They recommend further research using longitudinal studies to better understand these relationships.
They suggest that public health strategies should focus on reducing frequent takeaway food intake as one way to lower dietary inflammation across populations.
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