Association of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype, oxidative stress, and inflammation in Iranian adults: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Ultra-processed foods consumption has been increasing globally as well as in the Iranian population, coinciding with rising rates of metabolic diseases. Concurrently, the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype has been proposed as an inexpensive approach to identify individuals at risk of metabolic abnormalities. We evaluated the association between UPFs with HTGW in relation to oxidative stress and inflammation in Iranian adults, as no previous study had assessed these altogether.Methods:This cross-sectional study consisted of a sample of 528 Iranian adults (45.6% of them females). Dietary intake was estimated by a validated semi-quantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaire, and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) were obtained using the NOVA classification method.Anthropometric indices, including waist circumference and serum triglyceride concentration, were obtained to classify the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype. Additionally, biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation were measured.Results: There was a significant association between ultra-processed foods consumption and HTGW phenotype in crude (OR T3 vs. T1 = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.09-3.05) and fully-adjusted model (OR T3 vs. T1 =2.47, 95% CI: 1.31-4.66); this association had a dose-response pattern. Moreover, this association was particularly strengthened in women (OR T3 vs. T1 = 4.10; 95%CI: 1.40, 12.01) and participants with overweight/obesity (OR T3 vs. T1 = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.27, 4.54) (both based on the fully-adjusted model).Whereas there was no significant difference in oxidative stress and inflammation biomarker levels across tertiles of ultra-processed foods.Conclusion:Our findings revealed that higher intake of UPFs was associated with a higher chance of the HTGW phenotype, in a dose-response manner. There was no significant difference in oxidative stress and inflammation biomarker levels across tertiles of ultra-processed foods.