The world’s largest umbrella review to date has firmly established a link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and a staggering 32 health risks, drawing attention to the pressing public health concerns associated with the pervasive consumption of these products. The study, a culmination of rigorous research efforts, has shone a spotlight on the alarming health implications of a diet high in UPFs, which now form more than half of the average diet in the UK and US, and even higher in younger, economically disadvantaged communities.
UPFs are predominantly high in added sugar, fat, and salt, replete with colours, emulsifiers, flavours, and other additives, but notably low in vitamins and fibre. The review, involving almost 10 million people, found “direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.”
Researchers have rigorously classified evidence into various levels of certainty, with “convincing evidence” showing that higher UPF intake was associated with approximately a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48 to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes. “Highly suggestive” evidence also indicated a 21% greater risk of death from any cause, a 40 to 66% increased risk of heart disease-related death, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and sleep problems, and a 22% increased risk of depression.
Experts from top institutions, including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Sydney, and Sorbonne University, advocate for the implementation of public health measures to target and reduce UPF exposure. This call to action is underscored by the researchers’ statement: “These findings provide a rationale to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of using population-based and public-health measures to target and reduce dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods for improved human health.”
Despite the inherent limitations in the observational nature of some underlying studies, and the caution against inferring direct causality, the consistency of these findings with an extensive body of independent research cannot be ignored. Dr Chris van Tulleken, an associate professor at University College London and leading expert on UPFs, corroborates this by highlighting the extensive number of studies linking UPF-rich diets to multiple damaging health outcomes, including early death. “We have good understanding of the mechanisms by which these foods drive harm,” he explained, pointing to the engineered palatability and aggressive marketing of these foods which drive excess consumption.
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Relevant articles:
– Ultra-processed food linked to harmful effects to health | Exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses
– Ultra-processed foods linked to 32 physical and mental health problems, review finds, Sky News, Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:37:16 GMT
– Ultra-processed food linked to 32 health effects, including cancer and diabetes, Yahoo News UK, Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:25:35 GMT
– Scott Dylan Reports: Review Finds Ultra-Processed Food Linked to 32 Harmful Health Effects, FeastMagazine, Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:01:27 GMT