As the world celebrated Valentine’s Day and in time for Philippine Heart Month, which is marked every February, the Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA) reminded Filipinos to avoid ultra-processed food products (UPF) as it will be good for the heart in the long run.
“One way of showing extra love and care for our hearts is to cut down our consumption of (ultra-processed food products) to save ourselves from cardiovascular diseases,” said Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former health secretary and HPA convener. The HPA is a network of civil society organizations working to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCD).
UPFs are food that contain preservatives, emulsifiers as well as artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors. Among the most common are breakfast cereals, soda drinks, ice cream, hotdogs, corned beef, meatloaf, sausages, and instant noodles.
Citing a multinational study published last year in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe medical journal, HPA said that high consumption of UPFs is associated with higher risk of developing multimorbidity, or a combination of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.
More importantly, according to the HPA, UPFs often contain high levels of sugar, sodium, and fats which are critical nutrients for NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases.
The group echoed the recommendation of the World Health Organization for governments to implement nutrition labeling such as “front-of-pack labeling” – or a simplified nutrition information on the front of food packages in addition to the mandatory nutrition labeling usually found at the back – as one of the ways to reduce unhealthy diet and lower the intake of sugar, sodium, and fats.
The HPA also encouraged Filipinos, even those below age 40, who regularly consume UPFs, to monitor their blood pressure and check for hypertension.
Taking care of our health, particularly our heart, shouldn’t be that difficult, if we only followed the advice that has been constantly been given by health experts when it comes to noncommunicable diseases. Watching our diet, exercise, getting enough rest, and avoiding stress should be simple enough, but has been proven to be quite difficult for many Filipinos who end up contracting these preventable diseases. If we can put effort into our love life during Valentine’s Day, we should be able to put in at least the same amount of effort into our health.
Even if it is just to ensure that if and when we do find true love, the lifetime that we spend with that special someone will be long and healthy, saving them from the unnecessary stress and financial burden that comes with getting sick.*
