Ready-to-Eat Foods and Chronic Diseases Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Abstract

Abstract

Background: The rising prevalence of ready-to-eat foods in diets has raised health concerns due to their association with increased risks of chronic diseases. However, the specific biochemical impacts and potential causal relationships are not well understood, emphasizing a crucial area for public health research.

Objective: To explore the correlation between the frequency of ready-to-eat food consumption, chronic diseases, and blood biochemical indicators to identify potential biomarkers and assess their causal relationships with chronic diseases.

Methods: The study utilizes data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering adults aged 18 to 80. The 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire determined the frequency of ready-to-eat food consumption. Employing Mendelian randomization (MR), the study used genetic variations linked to the most strongly correlated biochemical indicators as instrumental variables to assess their causal relationships with chronic diseases.

Results: Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between the consumption frequency of ready-to-eat foods and eight chronic diseases—diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, asthma, angina, renal failure, apoplexy, and thyroid disease (P<0.05). Heatmap analysis underscored a significant correlation between hemoglobin (Hb) levels and the consumption frequency of ready-to-eat foods.

Conclusion: The study establishes strong links between the frequent consumption of ready-to-eat foods and increased risks of chronic diseases, accompanied by notable changes in blood biochemical markers such as hemoglobin. These findings underscore the potential public health impacts of such dietary habits and support the need for tailored nutritional interventions and health policy development.