Eating More Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Higher Death Risk, Study Finds
A recent study has shown that older adults who eat more ultra-processed foods are nearly 10% more likely to die over a median follow-up of 23 years compared to those who eat less. The study followed over 500,000 people in the United States for about 30 years.
The findings revealed that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with slight increases in deaths from heart disease and diabetes, but not cancer. Dr. Erikka Loftfield, a Stadtman Investigator at the National Cancer Institute, stated, “Our study results support a larger body of literature, including both observational and experimental studies, which indicate that ultra-processed food intake adversely impacts health and longevity.”
Dr. Loftfield will present these findings at NUTRITION 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held from June 29 to July 2 in Chicago. The research analyzed data from over 540,000 people who provided information about their eating habits and health in the mid-1990s when they were between 50 and 71 years old. More than half of the participants have since died.
The study found that highly processed meat and soft drinks were strongly associated with higher mortality risk. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans already recommend limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, and deli meat.
Researchers used various strategies to classify the level of food processing, including the NOVA classification system. They also considered other risk factors like smoking and obesity. The study found that the link between ultra-processed food consumption and increased mortality persisted regardless of diet quality or body weight.
