Consumption of ultra -processing foods increases the risk of premature deaths. What the researchers discovered

A study, which has used data from eight countries, highlights the alarming extent of premature deaths associated with a diet rich in ultra -processing foods (UPF).

Ultra -processing foods affect photo health: Archive

The new study, published on Monday, April 28, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, emphasizes the need for an urgent intervention worldwide to reduce the consumption of ultra -home foods.

Ultra -home foods represent industrially formulated food products, intended for immediate consumption or rapid heating, made of ingredients extracted from food raw materials or obtained by synthesis in the laboratory, having a low content or absent food in their natural form. They have begun to gradually replace traditional foods and tables prepared from fresh or minimally processed ingredients.

“Ultra -home foods affect health beyond the particular effect of high content of nutrients with a major negative impact (sodium, trans fats and sugar), due to changes suffered by food during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including dyes, flavors and artificial sweeteners, and many other agents“, Dr. Augusto Fernandes Nilson, the main author of the study, doctor in science at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) said in Brazil, said, according to News.ro.

Evaluation of deaths from all causes associated with UPF consumption allows a general estimate of the effect of industrial processing on health, according to the study.

Data from representative national studies and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom) were analyzed and correlated. In this way, the relationships between food habits and the rate of general mortality were investigated, specifically evaluating how intense foods were processed and to what extent these processes have changed their nutritional function or facilitated rapid consumption.

The premature deaths attributed to the consumption of ultra -home foods in the eight countries increase significantly with their share in total energy contribution, ranging from 4% of premature deaths in low consumption countries, such as Colombia, up to 14% of premature deaths in countries with the highest UPF consumption, such as the United States.

High consumption of ultra -home foods was associated with 32 different diseases

Researchers have found that, as people consume more ultra -home foods, their risk of death increases. Specifically, each 10% increase in ultra -home foods in the diet leads to a 3% increase in death risk.

“This tendency highlights the urgent need for policies meant to reduce the consumption of ultra -processing foods and to support the return to traditional food models, based on local, fresh and minimally processed foods“, The researcher added.

Starting from this data and analyzing how much people consume such foods in different countries (for example, in Colombia represents about 15% of the total energy intake, and in the United States over 50%), researchers have built a model that showed that the proportion of premature deaths that could be prevented if people would consume fewer ultra -vary foods: from 4% to the countries. included mainly in the diet.

For example, in 2018, 124,000 premature deaths were attributed to UPF consumption in the United States.

High consumption of ultra -processing foods has been associated with 32 different diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, certain types of cancer and depression.

“It is alarming that, while in high revenue countries the consumption of ultra -processing foods is already very high and has been kept relatively constant in the last decade, in the countries with low and medium incomes this consumption is constantly increasing. Currently, the negative impact on public health, reflected in the number of illnesses, premature deaths and costs for health systems, is more severe in developed countries, but this burden increases rapidly and in less developed states.“, Dr. Nilson said.