According to a new, unpublished study, researchers tracked over 500,000 people for nearly thirty years and found that consuming higher levels of ultra-processed foods could reduce lifespan by more than 10%.
After adjusting the data, the risk increased to 15% for men and 14% for women, said the study's lead author, Erikka Loftfield, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
The study found that sugar-free soft drinks were the top contributors to ultra-processed food consumption. The second was sugary soft drinks. Ultra-processed bread and baked goods were also highly popular.
From chips to burger buns, many ultraprocessed foods are made from ingredients that are created during the manufacturing process, experts say. Aleksandr Zubkov/Moment RF/Getty Ima
Carlos Monteiro, an emeritus professor of nutrition and public health at the University of São Paulo, confirmed the association between ultra-processed food intake and all-cause mortality, especially cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The study analyzed dietary data from nearly 541,000 Americans aged 50 to 71, collected in 1995, and linked it to mortality rates over the next 20 to 30 years. The study found that those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods were more likely to die from heart disease or diabetes.
Reducing ultra-processed food intake and focusing on whole foods is essential for health. This large-scale, long-term cohort study underscores the risks of ultra-processed food consumption and highlights the importance of a diet rich in whole foods.
