A new global study reveals extensive health risks associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The findings, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicate that in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, where ultra-processed foods account for more than half of calorie intake, approximately 14% of early deaths could be linked to these foods.
The study is the first to estimate the overall burden of early deaths associated with ultra-processed foods in several countries. Researchers found that in the United States, 13.7% of premature deaths were associated with ultra-processed food consumption, equivalent to 124,107 avoidable deaths in 2017. In the United Kingdom, 13.8% of premature deaths were attributed to these foods, totaling approximately 17,781 deaths in 2018.
Conducted by researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the University of São Paulo, and the Autonomous University of Chile, the study analyzed data from eight countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To measure ultra-processed food consumption, they used national food surveys representative of each country.
"The findings support that ultra-processed food intake contributes significantly to the overall burden of disease in many countries, and its reduction should be included in national dietary guideline recommendations and addressed in public policies," the researchers wrote in their paper, according to the New York Post.
Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, the lead researcher from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, emphasized that ultra-processed foods are harmful not only because of their high fat, salt, and sugar content but also due to "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," according to Infobae.
Ultra-processed foods include items like ice creams, processed meats, mass-produced breads, soft drinks, burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, cereals, baked goods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and infant formula. These products often contain few whole ingredients and are made from cheap raw materials, further processed with synthetic additives to enhance flavor and prolong shelf life.
The study revealed differences in ultra-processed food consumption among the countries analyzed. In the United States, ultra-processed foods represented 54.5% of the daily caloric intake among adults aged 30 to 69 years. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, more than half of people's daily energy intake came from ultra-processed foods, with consumption reaching 53.4% of daily calories according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2018-2019 data.
In contrast, lower consumption levels were observed in countries like Colombia, where ultra-processed foods represented 15% of daily calories. The study estimated that 2,813 premature deaths in Colombia could have been avoided due to ultra-processed food consumption. In Brazil, the percentage of daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods was 17.4%, with 25,296 premature deaths potentially avoidable. In Chile, where consumption reached 22.8%, 1,874 premature deaths could have been prevented.
"The impact on public health is significant even in countries where consumption is still low," the researchers concluded, as noted by Infobae.
Research has linked highly processed foods to an increased risk of about 32 different diseases, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. "The risk of death increases in a dose-dependent manner: that is, the higher the consumption of ultra-processed foods, the greater the risk of dying prematurely, even controlling for the total amount of calories consumed," said Marie Claire Arrieta, according to Infobae.
Some specialists question whether the association between ultra-processed foods and health issues is due to the processing of these foods or to the fact that people choose diets high in fat, sugar, and salt instead of more nutritious options. "It is unclear why ultra-processed foods are associated with health problems," some specialists argue, as reported by DW (Deutsche Welle).
Experts recommend implementing public health policies to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods, including better food labeling and restrictions on advertising. The research team also called for promoting traditional dietary patterns based on fresh, local, and minimally processed foods.
"Today the most advisable thing is to consume more foods with less processing and limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods to a minimum," said Silvio Schraier, according to Infobae.
However, the research drew criticism from industry representatives. "This is another example of a misleading study that will ultimately lead to consumer confusion. Currently, there is no scientific agreement on the definition of ultra-processed foods," said Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy for the Consumer Brands Association, which represents the food industry, according to the New York Post.
Moreover, the United Kingdom government's expert panel on nutrition recently said there wasn't any strong evidence of a link between the way food is processed and poor health, according to BBC News.
Nerys Astbury, an associate professor of diet and obesity at the University of Oxford and a nutrition scientist not involved in the study, pointed out that more research is needed. "It has long been established, even in the Global Burden of Disease Consortium, that consuming diets higher in energy, fats, and sugars can have harmful effects on health, including premature mortality. This study adds to the body of evidence on the association between ultra-processed foods and poor health and disease," she stated, according to Infobae.
The consumption of ultra-processed foods has steadily increased in recent decades, now making up portions of diets in many countries. In the United States, daily energy intake from these foods is at 54.5%. Researchers warned that in Colombia, Brazil, and Chile, a deteriorating trend in ultra-processed food consumption is being observed, which portends a worsening global health burden in the future.
Experts caution that while the impact of health problems caused by ultra-processed foods is greater in high-income countries, it is also increasing in low- and middle-income countries, where consumption has risen continuously. The study highlights the urgent need for governments to review public food policies and update dietary recommendations to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods.