A new study by Inserm confirms the link between the consumption of foods poorly classified in the Nutri-score and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases

In this study, the researchers looked at the new version of the Nutri-score which is due to be deployed in 2024.

Teams of researchers confirm the link between the consumption of foods poorly classified in the Nutri-score and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, in a new study published this Wednesday in the scientific journal The Lancet Regional Health-Europe. Cardiovascular diseases represented a third of deaths in Europe in 2019 and “Diet is responsible for around 30% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases”recalls Inserm in a press release.

With this study, researchers from the French institute, but also from Inrae, Cnam, Sorbonne Paris Nord University and Paris Cité University, in collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO-IARC) wish to “provide new scientific elements for the validation of the Nutri-score on a European scale”explains Inserm.

Several studies, particularly French ones, had already observed links between the consumption of foods ranked lower on the Nutri-score scale and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. But in this study, the researchers were interested in the new version of the Nutri-score that is due to be deployed in 2024. Changes to the calculation of the Nutri-score have recently been proposed by the international scientific committee in charge of its monitoring to help consumers make informed choices about nutrition even better.

A total of 345,533 participants from the Epic (European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition) cohort were included in the analyses. This is a large-scale, long-term collaborative project studying different populations from countries across Europe to investigate the relationships between diet, nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors, and the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases. “During the follow-up (12 years, between 1992 and 2010), 16,214 participants developed cardiovascular disease (including 6,565 myocardial infarctions and 6,245 strokes)”the study says. They had consumed on average more foods that were rated lower on the Nutri-score scale.

The Nutri-score, adopted in France in 2017, has two essential functions: to quickly inform consumers about the nutritional quality of foods and drinks and to encourage manufacturers to improve the quality of their products. Brands are not obliged to adopt it. To date, more than 1,400 have committed to doing so.