Scientists finally reveal true death toll from ultraprocessed foods... and it's worse than anyone feared
Using death records and nutritional data, researchers estimated that 125,000 premature deaths in the US could be blamed on consuming these types of foods in 2017-2018.
For comparison, 73,000 died from fentanyl overdoses in 2022, the latest data shows.
Ultraprocessed food is thought to increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease due to high levels of saturated fat and sugar, as well as artificial additives.
The study looked into diets in eight countries, including the US and UK.
They then estimated how many of those deaths could be linked to ultraprocessed foods like meats, candy, ice cream and even some salads and breads through nutritional surveys.
The study found one in seven of the nearly 1million premature deaths in the US could be blamed on ultraprocessed foods from 2017 to 2018.
According to the study, ultraprocessed foods also make up more than half of the calories the average American consumes every day - more than any other country in the world.
The above table shows the percentage of calories ultraprocessed foods account for in all countries studied and the number of premature deaths associated with them
And for every 10 percent of extra ultraprocessed food consumed, the risk of early death increases by three percent.
Ultraprocessed foods have long been under scrutiny for containing high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives like emulsifiers and artificial colors not typically found in home cooking.
As a result, the researchers associated them with 32 chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and some forms of cancer.
Dr Eduardo Nilson, lead study author from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, said: 'UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of critical nutrients (sodium, trans fats and sugar) because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavors and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids.'
He noted because of this, 'assessing deaths from all-causes associated with UPF consumption allows an overall estimate of the effect of industrial food processing on health.'
Independent researchers, however, cautioned the findings do not prove ultraprocessed foods directly lead to an early death and called for additional studies.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, calculated the number of premature deaths in the US, UK, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Australia and Canada.
From 2017 to 2018, the US experienced 906,795 premature deaths, which is defined as death before a country's average life expectancy. In the US, this is 77 years old.
That was nearly twice the amount of the next closest country, Brazil, which had 556,696.
The team then collected nutritional data from national surveys to calculate how pervasive ultraprocessed foods are in each country's diet.
In the US, ultraprocessed foods were responsible for 54 percent of the average person's consumed calories.
The researchers found 124,107 premature deaths in the US could be blamed on ultraprocessed foods. This is about 14 percent or one in seven.
Meanwhile 17,781 deaths could be linked to these foods in the UK, also totaling about 14 percent.
Colombia, Brazil and Chile, however, attributed ultraprocessed foods to four to six percent of their premature deaths.
The researchers suggested this could be because these foods are less common in these countries. For example, ultraprocessed foods only make up 15 percent of the average calories consumed in Colombia.
In Brazil and Chile, these foods account for 17 and 23 percent of the average resident's diet, respectively.
Studies have linked ultra processed foods to cancer, diabetes, mental health conditions and obesity
The researchers wrote: 'Premature deaths attributable to consumptions of ultraprocessed foods increase significantly according to their share in individuals' total energy intake.
'A high amount of UPF intake can significantly affect health.'
A study published last year in BMJ, for example, found people who consumed the highest amount of ultraprocessed foods had a four percent higher risk of death overall and a nine percent greater risk of dying from a chronic disease other than cancer or heart disease.
Those researchers suggested the increased risk could be due to high amounts of sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
The team behind the new study urged lawmakers worldwide to introduce measures to eliminate ultraprocessed foods from the food supply, such as tighter regulations of food marketing and restrictions on selling them in schools.
There were several limitations to the study, mainly including the findigns showing associations rather than direct causes.
Independent experts also raised concerns about the findings.
Professor Nita Forouhi, professor of health and nutrition at the University of Cambridge, said: 'There are limitations to this paper, including the points the authors themselves raised.
'Nonetheless, evidence on the 'health harms of UPF' are accumulating and this paper does add to that body of evidence, and UPFs are unlikely to be healthful.'
Forouhi emphasized correlation does not mean ultraprocessed foods directly cause death, though observational studies 'are often the best we are going to get realistically.'
'We should not ignore such findings, especially as the current research has reported consistently similar associations in several countries which increases the degree of confidence,' she added.
Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at Open University in England, said: 'The researchers may appear to be making a simple comparison, but in fact it's a lot more complicated than you might think.
Like Forouhi, McConway noted the data is observational and does not prove causation. 'Researchers record what people eat, and then follow them up for a long time and record if and when they died,' he said.
'This all means that it's impossible, for any one study like that, to be sure whether differences in mortality between people who consume different UPF amounts are actually caused by differences in their UPF consumption.
'There are bound to be many other differences between groups who consume different UPF amounts, in terms of other details of their diet, their lifestyle, their economic position, their sex and age, and so on. These differences might be, in part or in whole, the reason for the differences in the risk of early death.'
He added: 'I'm certainly not saying that there is no association between UPF consumption and ill health – just that it's still far from clear whether consumption of just any UPF at all is bad for health, or of what aspect of UPFs might be involved.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside deadly ‘Whippets' epidemic which leaves victims brain damaged and incontinent… as dangerous craze spreads to UK
LURED in with child-like fruity flavours, a dangerous party drug has left a trail of destruction in the US - with fears it could spread to the UK. Known as whippets, canisters of nitrous oxide can legally be bought in shops - and in many states, children are able to buy the poisonous gas. 17 Online clips show US teens inhaling Galaxy Gas at school Credit: Instagram 17 Rachel Kelly, from Chicago, Illinois, was left with brain damage after she inhaled nitrous oxide straight out of the canister every day Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 17 Jordan Micu, from North Carolina, suffered seizures and learned to walk again after she got hooked on laughing gas Credit: Kennedy News 17 Possession of nitrous oxide became a criminal offence in the UK in 2023 Credit: Getty Nitrous oxide - also known as NOS - is most commonly inhaled via a balloon, but youngsters are now buying flavoured whipped cream canisters and inhaling them directly from the nozzle. Rather than 8g metal canisters littering the streets, whopping cans contain as much of 2kg of gas - meaning users can inhale massive quantities. The most notorious brand in the US is Galaxy Gas - which comes in child-friendly flavours such as mango smoothie, blueberry, strawberry cream and vanilla cupcake - similar to the marketing of disposable vapes. It became wildly popular among American teens, peaking last year when it was widely glorified in rap videos and social media clips. Read more world news LUCKY FIND Moment missing journalist is found & rescuers reveal how he survived for 5 days Footage of a user inhaling Galaxy Gas racked up 40million views - and inspired countless copycats. A viral song titled "Whippets" is available to watch on YouTube - showing youngsters bragging about their use of Galaxy Gas and repeatedly inhaling from the huge canisters. Although the canisters are intended for food use, guests have also tried it on the Joe Rogan podcast and Kanye West has spoken about his addiction to the substance. After furious backlash, the brand has withdrawn its products from the market and is now only available from a very limited selection of stores - but others are replacing it. In 2023, the UK government made nitrous oxide a Class C drug - but it's mostly failed to rid the streets of discarded metallic canisters. Balloon-huffing revellers still openly inhale at festivals, parties and in the streets. Laughing gas 'epidemic' sweeping party island with tourists left foaming at mouth, having seizures & permanently scarred In serious cases, users have become heavily addicted to the high and left needing rehab or hospital treatment after racing through as many as 15 canisters per day. But in the US, possession of nitrous oxide is legal - and authorities are struggling to crack down on the deadly craze. Between 2023 and 2024, there was a 58 per cent surge in reports of exposure to nitrous oxide in America according to official data. The number of deaths from nitrous oxide also rose by a staggering 110 per cent from 2019 to 2023. Rachel Kelly, from Chicago, inhaled so much nitrous oxide straight out of the canister every day that parts of her brain died and she was left in a wheelchair. 17 Rachel Kelly forked out $220 every day to inhale eight two-litre tanks of 'whippets' Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 17 Barmaid Rachel was left in a wheelchair from her laughing gas addiction Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 17 Whippets can easily be bought in shops - with authorities struggling to crack down on the craze Credit: FOX29 17 Videos of teens inhaling Galaxy Gas are viewed by millions of children online Credit: Getty She first tried the substance aged 21 and by 2023 the 29-year-old was paying $220 a day to inhale eight two-litre tanks. Rachel said "everyone" was using the drug and it was easy to buy at a local convenience store. But her habit left her in hospital unable to go to the toilet or walk on her own - forcing her to spend a month in a rehabilitation centre. Jordan Micu, 30, from North Carolina, was also left suffering seizures after getting hooked on the canisters as a 21-year-old college student. They're obviously being marketed to appeal for young people and not for its intended use Fiona Spargo-Mabbs In the US, shops often offer deals and colourful canisters can easily be found in smoke shops - despite their intended use for food production. Imyouski, 22, told GQ: "It's like an epidemic, all the young folks are on them. "It's too obtainable, I could literally drive down the street right now and go grab me how many I want." And in the UK, canisters are also widely available to purchase online. A range of brands have emerged with similar whacky flavours and bright marketing available online in the UK. 17 Baking Bad offers four different whacky flavours in vivid colours Credit: Baking Bad 17 Miami Magic also has sweet flavours and graphic marketing - like Galaxy Gas Credit: Miami Magic "Baking Bad" and "Miami Magic", both cream charger brands available online in the UK, have recently released new flavoured ranges. Baking Bad offers candy, strawberry, blueberry mango and watermelon lemon flavoured gas. Miami Magic, meanwhile, boasts rainbow, watermelon, blue raspberry and strawberry guava editions. The fruit combo flavours in particular are similar to many vapes that have hit the market in recent years. Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, founder and director of drugs education charity the DSM foundation, told The Sun: "I googled nitrous oxide in the UK and it came up with a whole load of places you can buy it. "These social media trends or videos that go viral and are seen by loads of people. "It's a concern, it's always a concern. They're being marketed with cartoon characters, GTA imaging on the outside of canisters. "They're obviously being marketed to appeal for young people and not for its intended use." I think young people just see it as a bit of fun at first but then use it for self-medication for depression and anxiety Dan Gibbons Fiona, a member of the government's advisory council on the misuse of drugs, added: "Things that come from the states and social media, there can be so many influences in terms of the decisions young people make. "The exposure that young people have to drugs on social media is something I am concerned about." Dan Gibbons, from UK-based solvent abuse charity Re-Solv, told The Sun: "Galaxy Gas has not come across our radar as much in the UK but you can get it here. "I think young people just see it as a bit of fun at first but then use it for self-medication for depression and anxiety." 17 Meg Caldwell died in her car after getting hook on laughing gas Credit: NEWS 6 17 Canisters are widely available in smoke shops in America - making it easily accessible Credit: FOX29 17 Galaxy Gas has become a popular method to inhale nitrous oxide in the US Credit: Instagram 17 Galaxy Gas is sold in child-friendly flavours like Mango Smoothie He said he wouldn't be surprised if the huge canisters start to make an appearance at British festivals after being heavily promoted online in the US. Dan says Re-Solve has even seen an increase in referrals for laughing gas addiction since the government ban was imposed. Dr Gail Saltz told us: "There are teens who have suffered permanent neurological loss as a result of this behaviour. "And it certainly can kill you." The doctor explained that inhaling the gas can lead to a range of very serious medical problems - and even death in the most severe cases. She explained: "When you inhale high pressure nitrous oxide, you are not getting any oxygen to the brain - so that's oxygen depravation. "And that can cause a heart attack, a stroke, injury to the brain. "More persistent use can lead to other issues such as B12 deficiency, anaemia, and other neurological problems." Meg Caldwell, a horse rider from Florida, started using nitrous oxide recreationally while at university. But her usage got heavier to the point it "started ruining her life". After an overdose, Meg, 29, temporarily lost use of her legs and was left incontinent, but carried on spending hundreds of dollars a day on the gas. She died in November last year in a car park outside a vape shop. Her sister Leigh Caldwell told Boston 25: "She would spend $300, $400 at a smoke shop in a day. "Her whole life had become derailed due to her addiction to this drug." Another sister, Kathleen Dial, told the BBC: "She didn't think that it would hurt her because she was buying it in the smoke shop, so she thought she was using this substance legally." Meg's family has now filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of nitrous oxide and seven Florida smoke shops to stop retail sales of the drug. Galaxy Gas is named in the lawsuit. Drug addiction counsellor Kim Castro said that she's had four clients who have died from nitrous oxide poisoning. She told Boston 25: "You really don't know when you'll stop breathing, when you'll lose consciousness, when your body will stop functioning. It's pretty scary." In March, the FDA released a warning advising consumers not to inhale nitrous oxide products, including Galaxy Gas and other brands. 17 Discarded canisters of nitrous oxide piled up at Glastonbury festival at Worthy Farm Credit: AFP 17 In the UK, nitrous oxide is commonly used by inhaling balloons filled with small metal cartridges 17 Recreational nitrous oxide has been banned in the UK Credit: Instagram Dr Saltz said that sucking laughing gas to get high is not a new phenomenon, but there's been a surge in the past three to five years thanks to a "new twist" in the market. She said: "The new addition in recent years is flavours, which has made it more appealing to younger and younger people. "It seems like it's being literally marketed to this group of people. It makes it seem not dangerous and more innocuous." The doc agrees that social media has supercharged the spread of the drug amongst youngsters - allowing it to be glorified, but also popularising "challenges" involving the gas. She also warned of the danger of "copycat companies" who have "caught onto the fact that young people will buy this and use it for abuse". The doctor insisted there are some obvious ways to fight back against the gas falling into teens' hands. She said: "Selling to underage individuals is something that is frequently abused - and that of course shouldn't be happening. "We should be putting more warnings on the packaging so that the adult who is buying it is warned - because they may not realise what their teen is actually asking for. "And I wish that the companies would not be able to market to young people. "Once you've identified something as used for abuse, governments should have the ability to say to a company: 'This is what you can do, this is what you can't do.' For the greater societal good." Dr Saltz also explained that laughing gas is "easier to hide than abuse of many other things". She said: "It has no smell, it seems innocuous because it can be used for food preparation. It's not expensive, and the high is short."
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Leader Live
Astronauts return to Earth with SpaceX after five months at ISS
Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. Splashing down were Nasa's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two Nasa astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. Nasa ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after Ms McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Mr Wilmore has since retired from Nasa. Before leaving the space station on Friday, Ms McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. Ms McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston, US. High on her crewmates' wish list were hot showers and juicy burgers. It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a Nasa crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time Nasa astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a detente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Astronauts return to Earth with SpaceX after five months at ISS
Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts parachutes into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast (Keegan Barber/Nasa via AP) Splashing down were Nasa's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two Nasa astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. Nasa ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after Ms McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Mr Wilmore has since retired from Nasa. Before leaving the space station on Friday, Ms McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts parachutes into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast (Keegan Barber/Nasa via AP) 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. Ms McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston, US. High on her crewmates' wish list were hot showers and juicy burgers. It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a Nasa crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time Nasa astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a detente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit.
