Ultraprocessed food increases the risk of premature death among people, a new study revealed.
According to CNN, a new meta-analysis research involving over 240,000 people unveiled the link between ultraprocessed food and premature death.
The study coauthor Carlos Augusto Monteiro said, “We looked at the risk of a person dying from eating more ultraprocessed foods between the ages of 30 and 69, a time when it would be premature to die.”
“We found that for each 10% increase in total calories from ultraprocessed foods, the risk of dying prematurely rose by nearly 3%,” added Monteiro, who coined the term “ultraprocessed” in 2009 after developing NOVA.
NOVA is a food classification system that categorises foods into four levels based on the extent and purpose of their processing.
Monteiro in the editoral published in The BMJ journal that no such reason exists that will make one beleive that humans can fully adopts ultraprocessed products as the body will react to them as useless or harmful.
Ultraprocessed food increases cardiovascular disease-related death by 50%
It is not the first study that has linked ultra-processed food with negative health outcomes.
A study published in February 2024 found “strong” evidence that people who eat more ultraprocessed food had a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related death and common mental disorders.
Higher intake of the ultraprocessed foods also increases the risk of anxiety by up to 53%, obesity by 55%, sleep disorders by 41%, development of type 2 diabetes by 40% and depression or an early death from any cause by 20%.
Notably, the researchers has describer the “higher intake” as one one extra serving or about 10% more ultraprocessed foods per day.
