Recent research has highlighted a concerning link between ultraprocessed food consumption and an increased risk of early mortality. A meta-analysis involving over 240,000 individuals revealed that for every 10% increase in calories derived from ultraprocessed foods, the risk of premature death escalates by nearly 3% . This finding builds on previous studies that have associated ultraprocessed foods with a myriad of health issues including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that dietary choices may significantly impact longevity.
As you add more ultraprocessed foods to your diet, your risk of a premature death from any cause rises, according to a new meta-analysis of research involving more than 240,000 people.
"We looked at the risk of a person dying from eating more ultraprocessed foods between the ages of 30 and 69, a time when it would be premature to die," said study coauthor Carlos Augusto Monteiro, emeritus professor of nutrition and public health in the School of Public Health at Brazil's University of São Paulo.
"We found that for each 10% increase in total calories from ultraprocessed foods, the risk of dying prematurely rose by nearly 3%," said Monteiro, who coined the term "ultraprocessed" in 2009 when he developed NOVA, a system of classifying foods into four groups by their level of processing.
The studies looked at surveys of people's diets and at data on deaths from eight countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, UK and US.
The report estimates that in the UK and the US, where UPFs account for more than half of calorie intake, 14% of early deaths could be linked to the harms they cause.
In countries such as Colombia and Brazil, where UPF intake is much lower (less than 20% of calorie intake), the study estimated these foods are linked to around 4% of premature deaths.
Lead study author Dr Eduardo Nilson, from Brazil, said UPFs affected health "because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavours and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids".
These foods are becoming dominant in the global food supply and “already account for over half of the average daily energy content of the diets in many high-income countries,” authors of the study wrote.
While consumption remains lower in low- and middle-income countries, “there is evidence that the exposure and adherence to a ultraprocessed dietary pattern has increased significantly over the last decades,” they added.
Furthermore, a large cohort study conducted by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health confirmed the association between high ultraprocessed food intake and increased all-cause mortality. Participants consuming higher amounts of these foods exhibited heightened risks not only for general health deterioration but also for specific causes of death. These studies collectively advocate for a critical reassessment of dietary patterns and emphasize the need to reduce ultraprocessed food consumption to enhance health outcomes.