As the popular expression goes, “you are what you eat” - and the same applies if your diet is unhealthy and high in preservatives, colourings and bulking agents.
Little to no care towards your diet and certain foods consumed will impact your longevity and lead to a shorter life, research has shown.
Researchers have pinpointed one particular food type that is notorious when it comes to premature deaths.
Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and certain types of cancers have been linked to diets rich in ultra-processed foods, with researchers issuing a stark warning to those wanting to live a longer and healthier life to keep these foods to a minimum.
A new study has highlighted what many health experts have known for many years: that a diet rich in highly processed foods will result in an earlier death.
The research, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine - and the first of its kind to further look at the impact of these types of food for early death - looked at the death of Brazilians and analysed how their diet influenced this outcome.
Around 57,000 people's deaths were included in the study, aged between 30 and 69 years-old, that were attributable to the consumption of ultra-processed food.
It accounted to more than 10% of annual premature deaths among that age group.
What are ultra-processed foods?
Examples of ultra-processed foods include:
- Processed meat such as sausages and hamburgers
- Breakfast cereals or cereal bars
- Instant soups
- Sugary fizzy drinks
- Chicken nuggets
- Cake
- Chocolate
- Hot dogs
- Ice cream
- Margarine
- Mass-produced bread
- Ready meals
- Pizza
- Meal-replacement shakes.
Major health outcomes leading to early death
For researchers to reach this conclusion, calculations from previous analysis were used and then compared it with the relative mortality risk of people who consumed large amounts of these foods with those who ate it only occasionally.
Researchers applied that model to Brazil’s population and its level of highly processed food consumption.
They then estimated the number of premature deaths that might have been prevented if that age group ate less of it.
Regarding one of the main health impacts caused by a diet rich in these foods, Eduardo Nilson, a nutrition researcher at the University of São Paulo and the study’s lead author, believes "it is very likely that heart disease is among the main factors" contributing to these premature deaths.
Other major health outcomes include diabetes, cancer, obesity and chronic kidney disease.
Why ultra-processed foods are so unhealthy
Foods that are highly processed contain more artificial ingredients compared to those that just have added salt, sugar or oil.
They usually have very few whole ingredients and contain flavourings, preservatives, colourings, bulking agents or other additives.
“Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated fats,” added Harvard Health.
Unfortunately, ultra-processed food consumption is rife in most countries including Brazil, USA and the UK.
In fact, ultra-processed foods make up almost two-thirds of Britain's school meals, one study found.
Nilson estimated that if all adults ensured at least a 23% reduction in these foods, around 20,000 fewer premature deaths would be seen per year.
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