Eating ultra-processed foods is tied to over three dozen health problems

More proof that ultra-processed foods are ultra-bad.

By now, most people know that chips, sodas, cakes, instant noodles and sodas aren’t exactly healthy foods. Now, new research is driving that point home even further. A collection of researchers from the U.S., Australia, and Europe linked diets high in ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova food classification system, to an increased risk of 32 separate illnesses. In particular, a research review published in The BMJ states that these foods are convincingly tied to the risk of early death, heart disease, cancer, mental health disorders including depression, respiratory conditions, and type 2 diabetes. And the more of these heavily processed foods people eat, the higher their overall health risks. This impact on health was discovered using pooled data from 14 review articles, published within the past three years, involving nearly 10 million participants. The evidence linked ultra-processed foods with a 21% greater risk of death from any cause. Over recent decades, the availability and variety of ultra-processed products laden with sugar, salt, fat, and additives has substantially increased in countries around the world, including our home turf. For many people, trimming out a substantial portion of these foods from their diets is the first step to eating better for improved health outcomes.

Want to learn more? Ultraprocessed Foods Versus the Planet