Regular Consumption of "Ultra-Processed" Good Increases Risk of Early Death: Study

While we all love nibbling away at our pizzas, chips or French fries, a new study, conducted in France, currently finds that we face a 14 % higher risk of early death with every 100% increase within the amount of ultra-processed food we have a tendency to eat. The authors of the study wrote within the journal JAMA Internal medicine that ultra-processed foods are manufactured industrially from multiple ingredients that typically embody additives used for technological and/or cosmetic functions, as per the report.

They added, “Ultra-processed foods are mostly consumed within the variety of snacks, desserts, or ready-to-eat or -heat meals,” and their consumption “has mostly multiplied throughout the past many decades.”

This trend might drive a rise of early deaths because of chronic sicknesses, together with cancer and cardiovascular disease, they say. According to the study, within the United alone 61 % of an adult’s total diet comes from ultra-processed foods. In Canada, the figure is around 62 % whereas, within the UK, that proportion is 63%.

To understand the link between ultra-processed foods and therefore the risk of an earlier-than-expected death, the researchers enlisted the assistance of 44,551 French adults for 2 years. Their average age was 57, and nearly 73 % of the participants were women. All provided 24-hour dietary records every six months additionally to finishing questionnaires concerning their health, physical activities, and sociodemographics.

The researchers calculated each participant’s overall dietary intake and consumption of ultra-processed food and found that it accounted for more that 14% of the weight of total food consumed and concerning 29 % of total calories, they found. Ultra-processed food consumption was related to younger age, lower financial gain, lower educational level, living alone, higher BMI and lower physical activity level.

Over the study period, 602 participants died. After adjusting for factors like smoking, the researchers calculated an associated 14 % higher risk of early death for each 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods consumed.

The authors speculate that the additives, the packaging (chemicals leech into the food throughout storage) and therefore the process itself, together with high-temperature process, is also the factors that negatively have an effect on health.

Also Read: Swap 30 Minutes Of Sitting With Physical Activity To Reduce Early Death Risk, Finds Study