A ground-breaking international study has found a significant link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and premature, preventable deaths, prompting renewed calls for urgent public health policies aimed at reducing reliance on industrially processed diets.
Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study analysed dietary and mortality data from eight countries – Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The findings show that higher intake of UPFs is associated with increased all-cause mortality, with up to 14% of premature deaths in some countries attributed to diets high in these foods.
UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of critical nutrient
The researched defined UPFs as ‘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.’ They are often high in sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats, and include numerous artificial additives such as flavourings, colorants, sweeteners, and emulsifiers.
Dr. Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, lead investigator from Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), said “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 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.”
The study established a clear linear relationship: every 10% increase in the share of UPFs in a person’s diet was associated with a 3% rise in the risk of death from all causes. Using national consumption patterns, researchers estimated the percentage of premature deaths linked to UPFs ranged from 4% in countries with the lowest intake, to nearly 14% in countries with the highest UPF consumption, such as the US where over half of daily calories come from UPFs. In 2018 alone, the study estimates 124,000 premature American deaths were attributable to UPF consumption.
Policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed globally, promoting traditional dietary patterns based on local fresh and minimally processed foods.
Previous research has linked UPFs to at least 32 health conditions, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, certain cancers, and mental health disorders like depression. However, this is the first study to quantify UPF-related premature deaths on a global scale.
The findings are particularly alarming for lower- and middle-income countries, where UPF consumption is rising rapidly. “While in high-income countries UPF consumption is already high but relatively stable for over a decade, in low- and middle-income countries the consumption has continuously increased,” warned Dr. Nilson.
“This 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.”
