Do you regularly eat ready-to-eat-or-heat foods? Beware, a global study on Monday showed that the consumption of such ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can significantly increase the risk of preventable premature deaths.Previous studies have linked UPFs — rich in sodium, trans fats, and sugar — with 32 different diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer, and depression.
The new study analysed data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and the US).
The findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that premature deaths attributable to consumption of UPFs increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake.
The study 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 made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesised in laboratories, with little or no whole foods in their composition.
“UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of the 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 colourants, artificial flavours, 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,” said lead investigator Eduardo AF Nilson, from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.