Eating an additional 100 grams of ultra-processed food (UPF) a day was associated with higher risks of several chronic health conditions, according to a large-scale analysis involving nearly 8.8 million adults.
Published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health on September 22, the analysis examined participants from studies conducted across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Follow-up periods ranged from two to 32 years.
Researchers found that every additional 100 grams of UPFs consumed daily was associated with a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular events. The same increase was also associated with a 4% higher risk of cancer, a 3% higher risk of death from any cause and a 2% higher risk of metabolic syndrome or diabetes.
UPFs generally undergo extensive industrial processing and may contain additives, while often being designed for convenience and longer shelf life. Common examples include sugary drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks and confectionery.
The analysis also found that people with the highest UPF consumption had higher risks of digestive diseases, depression or anxiety, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular events compared with those consuming the least.
Researchers suggested that reducing UPF consumption and replacing some of these foods with minimally processed alternatives could be relevant to chronic disease prevention and primary healthcare.
However, the findings show associations rather than proving that ultra-processed foods directly cause these diseases. Diet quality, lifestyle and other health factors can also influence long-term disease risk.
Nutrition experts note that the focus does not necessarily need to be on eliminating every processed food, but on making nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains a larger part of the overall diet.
