Want to skip an early death? Stop eating ultra-processed foods, study says. These are the worst offenders

Yahoo

30-04-2025

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
Every bite of ultra-processed food can increase your risk of an early death, according to new research involving more than 240,000 people.
Based on a new meta-analysis of research that looked at individuals ages 30-69, for each 10 per cent increase in total calories from ultra-processed foods, the risk of premature death rose by nearly three per cent.
Public health experts have long warned of the dangers of ultra-processed foods — manufactured foods that have been highly processed and often contain additives — and the new global study confirms the association between their consumption and all-cause mortality.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on April 28, analyzed data from eight countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and uncovered several significant — and disturbing — findings.
The key takeaways from the study include:
Each 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food intake increases the risk of early death by three per cent.
An estimated 124,000 Americans and 7,700 Canadians die prematurely from ultra-processed food consumption every two years.
Ultra-processed foods contribute to all-cause mortality — they increase the risk of dying from any cause, not just one specific disease or obesity.
It's estimated that nearly 44 per cent of the average Canadian's daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods. For Americans, it's more than half.
Ultra-processed food is not just candy, pop and potato chips. By definition, ultra-processed foods contain little to no whole food. Instead, they are manufactured from "chemically manipulated cheap ingredients" and often use "synthetic additives to make them edible, palatable and habit-forming," according to one of the study's authors.
Additionally, synthetic additives have been linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes. The increased risk to the study's participants was unanimous, regardless of their diet's nutritional quality, sociodemographic and other lifestyle factors.
The additives highlighted in the study include modified starches, pectin, guar gum, carrageenan, polyphosphates, potassium sorbates, curcumin and xanthan gum. They can be found in creamy dairy desserts, fat-based sauces, broths and other processed foods.
A second cluster of additives was also highlighted, including those often found in sugary and artificially sweetened beverages. They include citric acid, sodium citrates, phosphoric acid, sulphite ammonia caramel, acesulfame potassium or Ace-K, aspartame, sucralose, Arabic gum, malic acid, carnauba wax, paprika extract, anthocyanins, guar gum and pectin.
Both studies have drawn the ire of some critics. The most recent April 28 study on ultra-processed foods was called misleading by Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy for the Consumer Brands Association, which represents the food industry.
"Demonizing convenient, affordable and shelf-ready food and beverage products could limit access to and cause avoidance of nutrient-dense foods," Gallo said in an email to CNN, "resulting in decreased diet quality, increased risk of foodborne illness and exacerbated health disparities."
The earlier study, which looked at additives and type 2 diabetes, was similarly described as "absurd" and "highly misleading" by the International Council of Beverages Associations.
In February 2025, the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation published a study warning of the health hazards of ultra-processed food consumption. The findings indicate that nearly four in 10 cardiovascular disease deaths in Canada — roughly 17,400 — are linked to consuming ultra-processed foods.
According to the study, if Canadians were to reduce their consumption of ultra-processed foods, this would result in approximately 46,000 fewer new cases of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and 8,300 fewer deaths annually. However, if the intake of ultra-processed foods were to increase by 50 per cent, it would amount to nearly 20,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 3,500 deaths per year.
"More than one-third of all cardiovascular events — or 38 per cent — were associated with ultra-processed food consumption in 2019," Virginie Hamel a dietitian and PhD candidate at the Université de Montréal who worked on this study, previously told Yahoo Canada. "This study ... shows how ultra-processed foods are a major component of the burden of heart disease and stroke in Canada."
The estimated 38 per cent of cardiovascular events linked to ultra-processed food consumption includes more than 96,000 cases of heart disease and stroke, 55 per cent of which were men. There were also more than 17,400 deaths, where 52 per cent were men.
The study also found Canadians over age 20 have diets where these products make up more than 43 per cent of their total daily energy intake. Now, researchers are pushing for more change and new policies, especially around regulating how ultra-processed foods are marketed to children.
Hamel said the researchers looked at prior studies of ultra-processed foods Canadians consume most often. "According to the most recent representative data from 2015 in Canada, one of the most ultra-processed foods is commercial bread," she added.
However, she said some of the other more common ultra-processed foods Canadians consume include chips, frozen meals, cakes, cookies, pies and soft drinks. Other ultra-processed foods may include:
Sweetened breakfast cereals and oatmeals
Reconstituted meat products like hot dogs and fish sticks
Powdered and packaged soups
Candy
Protein bars and shakes
Boxed pasta products
Ice cream and sweetened yogurt
Margarine and spreads like cream cheese
According to Hamel, processed foods are products that might include sugar, salt or oil before they're packaged for sale. This is done to increase a product's preservation, but typically no other additives are included and the processing is simpler. On the other hand, ultra-processed foods have "many processing steps" — like extrusion, moulding and milling — as well as "additives we may never have in the kitchen," she explained.
When it comes to ultra-processed foods, Hamel said the goal of the products is for shoppers to have something "practical, durable, convenient and appealing," but they're "highly-manipulated." Ultra-processed foods are also high in sugar, salt and fat, while typically being poor quality and lacking in nutrients. In turn, that can promote weight gain because they don't make you feel as full.
Additives have various purposes when it comes to ultra-processed foods. These might include:
Preservatives to resist mould and bacteria
Emulsifiers to prevent ingredients from separating
Artificial colours and dyes
Fragrance and flavour enhancers
Agents focusing on anti-foaming, bulking, bleaching, gelling and glazing
Added or altered sugar, salts and fats for appearance
It's typical to combine the same additives over and over again in certain products because they have complementary properties. Moreover, people often eat foods together, creating unique groups of additives that might create a problematic cluster they're regularly consuming.
Hamel noted grocery stores are typically laid out in a similar fashion. She suggested shoppers start by going around the store and beginning with sections that hold vegetables, fruits and other fresh foods. If you choose to go through the aisles of processed products, she said it's a good idea to have a goal in mind.
"If you really know exactly what you want, that's a good thing. But you can get lost easily," Hamel said, adding she understands it's not easy for everyone to have time to cook proper meals. In those cases, she suggested people seek out ready-to-eat food products that aren't necessarily ultra-processed. Otherwise, she reminded people that you don't have to cook daily and can instead meal-prep for your week.
But for people who might choose to venture down every aisle stocked full of ultra-processed products, she advised checking the ingredients list to ensure you buy better foods. "If there's a list of many ingredients that we cannot pronounce and we do not have in our kitchen, ... this is an indicator that it's maybe ultra-processed and maybe not a good idea to put in our groceries," she said.
"We always like to put the weight on people to do better, but it's hard to do better in the context we are in right now."
Reducing our consumption of ultra-processed foods would result in better health outcomes and fewer deaths, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Even if there was a 20 per cent drop, it's estimated that 3,000 fewer people would die of cardiovascular disease annually, and the burden of chronic diseases would go down significantly.
Hamel said there must be a change in the aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods towards children because it has normalized these products, leaving it difficult for parents to compete. "We need a mentality change, we need a systemic change ... and strong policies to help people to reduce their consumption of ultra-processed foods," she said.