Summary: A new study across eight countries shows that higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) is significantly linked to increased premature deaths. Researchers found that each 10% rise in UPFs’ share of total energy intake raises all-cause mortality risk by 3%.
Countries with the highest UPF consumption, like the U.S., see up to 14% of premature deaths attributed to these foods. The findings highlight the urgent need for global policies promoting healthier, minimally processed diets to protect public health.
Key Facts: UPF-Mortality Link: A 10% increase in ultraprocessed food intake raises all-cause mortality risk by 3%.
Global Burden: In high-UPF countries like the U.S., nearly 14% of premature deaths are linked to UPF consumption.
Urgent Action Needed: Policies promoting fresh, minimally processed foods are essential to curb rising deaths globally.
Source: Elsevier
A study analyzing data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) shows that premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake.
The new study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reinforces the call for global action to reduce UPF consumption, supported by regulatory and fiscal policies that foster healthier environments.
UPFs are ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations that are made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, with little or no whole foods in their composition. These have gradually been replacing traditional foods and meals made from fresh and minimally processed ingredients.
Lead investigator of the study Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, DSc, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil, says, “UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of critical nutrients (sodium, trans fats, and sugar) because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavors and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids, so assessing deaths from all-causes associated with UPF consumption allows an overall estimate of the effect of industrial food processing on health.”
While previous studies focused on specific dietary risk factors instead of food patterns, the current study modeled data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) to link dietary patterns, considering the extent and purpose of industrial food processing, to deaths from all causes.