Although certain processed foods may be beneficial to kidney health, others present risks. Ultra-processed foods (UPF), often considered junk food, include drinks like soda and packaged snacks as well as microwaveable frozen dinners that contain processed products that can easily be eaten on-the-go.
Processed foods refers to any food product that has been altered from its natural state. This may involve mechanical processing such as grinding beef, heating vegetables or pasteurizing food items.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the main components in coffee and other beverages like tea and cola. Caffeine can have both beneficial and detrimental effects; according to one JAMA Network Open study, people whose metabolism of caffeine slows over time tend to develop kidney dysfunction over time.
Mendelian randomization studies have linked variation in CYP1A2 and AHR genes with caffeine metabolism. Researchers used a two-sample MR approach to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with both genes; these SNPs were linked with differences in production of three coffee-related serum metabolites – glycochenodeoxycholate, O-methylcatechol sulfate and 3-methylcatechol sulfate.
GMOs
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are organisms whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques, with the goal of producing crops with desirable traits such as resistance to insects or drought tolerance or higher nutrient content.
One form of GMO modification is selective breeding, in which desirable traits are selected from seeds before crossing them to produce offspring with similar traits. Another GMO modification method is mutagenesis; here, crop seeds are exposed to radiation or chemicals which cause mutation, with desirable traits retained while undesirable ones discarded.
OECD guidelines recommend measuring at least three experimental points to assess dose-related effects; however, in these feeding trials with NK 603, NK 8604 and MON 810 only two measurements were recorded after 90 days of feeding; this represents a substantial limitation.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Fructose found in sugary beverages, desserts, and processed foods can be detrimental to your kidneys. It increases your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and gout while potentially leading to proteinuria (when your body releases proteins through urine). (1)
Table sugar (sucrose) is composed of glucose and fructose monosaccharides which have been bound together. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), made from corn (maize), is another liquid form containing these same monosaccharides bonded together for use in foods and beverages because it’s cheaper, tastes sweeter and has longer shelf lives (2).
Artificial Sweeteners
Food manufacturers have responded to consumer demand for low-calorie sweet products by replacing sugar with an array of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) such as aspartame, saccharine, sucralose, neotame potassium acesulfame sodium and stevia.
These ingredients come from both natural and synthetic sources; for instance, stevia comes from an extract of gourdlike plants while aspartame and saccharine are manufactured through chemical reactions.
These products provide fewer calories, yet their long-term consumption has been linked with insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and certain cancers. NSS consumption also contributes to obesity which increases risk for 13 types of cancer.
Artificial Colors
Food dyes used to color processed food for children and candy may also contribute to digestive disorders, allergic reactions and even death in some individuals. These synthetic chemical compounds that don’t occur naturally in food have proven fatal for some.
The FDA regulates color additives and their manufacturers through batch certification regulations. If a product contains unlisted or noncompliant coloring agents that don’t meet purity and identity specifications in listing regulations, enforcement action could be taken against that product by the FDA. Historically most certified coloring additives came from coal tar sources, while today most are manufactured synthetically from raw materials derived primarily from petroleum sources.
Artificial Flavors
Natural flavors are among the top four most frequently listed food ingredients on food labels; however, this does not indicate that its contents come solely from naturally-occurring substances.
Food manufacturers use both natural and artificial flavors in their products to increase appeal, with natural ones typically costing more than artificial ones.
Flavorists (the Willy Wonkas of food industry) use chemicals to understand what each flavor tastes like at its molecular level and recreate it in the laboratory; but this requires many trials, taste tests, and legal considerations before success is reached.
