Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Preventable Deaths, According to New Study

One could be at a greater risk of a premature death due to their consumption of ultra-processed food, a new study says.

In the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on Monday, April 28, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are defined using the NOVA classification system, which states they are “industrial formulations made from food-derived substances and cosmetic food additives with little, if any, whole food content.”

Examples provided by Healthline include sweetened breakfast cereals, flavored potato chips, artificially flavored cheese crackers, white bread, fried chicken, energy drinks, and soda.

The new study examined the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and all-cause mortality in people between the ages of 30 and 69 in eight countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

From a research pool of 239,982 participants and 14,779 deaths, the study found that with “each 10% increase in UPF contribution to total energy intake, there is a corresponding 2.7% rise in the risk of all-cause mortality.”

While the average contribution of ultra-processed foods to total energy intake varied among countries, the study estimated that between 2017 and 2018, approximately 124,107 premature deaths were attributed to the consumption of ultra-processed food in the United States. 

Although studies cannot definitively prove that UPFs caused any premature deaths, it argues that the findings support that UPF 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.”

In a press statement, Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, DSc, lead investigator of the study at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil, stated that “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,” his statement continued.

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He further added that the study shows that “policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed globally, promoting traditional dietary patterns based on local fresh and minimally processed foods.”

Minimally or non-processed foods include eggs, fish, fruits, legumes, meat, milk, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables, per Health.com.