In our fast paced world so influenced by convenience and advertising, ultra-processed foods are filling a greater space on our menus. They may be fast, and they may be addictively tasty, but they may also be killing you.
Ultra-processed foods are a growing group of foods, including packaged foods, soft drinks, instant noodles and ready-made meals. They may be quick and convenient to prepare, but they also have little real or whole food in them. They are low in fiber and nutrients and way too high in calories, salt, sugar and saturated fat. They may be good for your schedule, but they are really bad for you.
This new umbrella review analyzed 14 meta-analyses that included 430 epidemiological studies and 9,888,373 people.
Eating more ultra-processed food was consistently associated with a higher risk of poor health. The analysis found convincing evidence of an association between ultra-processed food and death from cardiovascular disease as well as type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety.
It found highly suggestive evidence of an increased risk of death from any cause and death from heart disease, sleep problems, wheezing and obesity.
This massive and important study provides compelling new evidence for diets rich in natural, whole food and low in processed food.
BMJ 2024;384:e077310.