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Increased consumption of ultra-processed foods raises risk of early death
Research based on dietary data from eight countries, including Brazil, indicates that a 10% increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods raises the risk of early death by 3%
A study led by researchers from USP and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), based on food consumption data from eight countries, shows that for every 10% increase in the intake of ultra-processed foods, the risk of premature death rises by 3%. The research estimated that, depending on the proportion of ultra-processed foods in each country’s diet, premature deaths attributable to these products range from 4% to around 14%.
In addition to recognizing these foods as a risk factor for diseases, the authors recommend that governments adopt regulatory and fiscal policies to enable the population to make healthier choices. The study’s findings are presented in an article published in the scientific journal American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made from substances derived from foods and cosmetic food additives, with little or no fresh food, or minimally processed food,” explains Eduardo Nilson, first author of the article and researcher at Fiocruz Brasília and at the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health (Nupens) at USP, to Jornal da USP.
“These foods are often high in energy and nutritionally unbalanced, as they are high in sodium, fat, and sugar. They contain ingredients and undergo processes that create highly palatable, convenient, and low-cost products, which can displace fresh or minimally processed foods and home-cooked meals.”
“The evidence on the health risks of ultra-processed foods has increased significantly in recent decades,” Nilson points out. “For example, a recent large-scale review of multiple studies revealed that the consumption of these foods is associated with the risk of 32 diseases, mainly noncommunicable chronic diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, digestive disorders, diabetes, and even mental health issues, including depression.”
The study analyzed food consumption and mortality data from eight countries with nationally representative dietary data available: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, showing different levels of ultra-processed food consumption, ranging from 15% of calories in Colombia to nearly 55% in the United States and the United Kingdom. “The analysis found that the proportion of premature mortality attributable to these foods ranged from 4% to nearly 14% of deaths,” says the researcher. “In other words, even in settings with relatively lower consumption of these foods, there is already a significant health burden on the population, and the higher the consumption, the greater the impact on mortality.”
Impact on health
“One of the study’s results showed a linear dose-response relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and all-cause mortality, such that every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in the diet is associated with a 3% greater mortality risk,” Nilson emphasizes.
The evidence linking ultra-processed food consumption with adverse health outcomes has been growing, according to the researcher. However, establishing causality remains a challenge, as it is with several other health risk factors. “Nonetheless, even though clinical trials to prove causality for mortality, for example, are not feasible, we have a set of indirect criteria that are fully met in relation to these foods,” he says. “For instance, we have studies showing consistency, specificity, and temporality, meaning that exposure to the risk factor, i.e., consumption, precedes the onset of disease. There is a possible dose-response effect, and clinical trials already demonstrate the link between consumption and body weight gain.”
“We were able to estimate the magnitude of premature all-cause mortality attributable to this consumption in each country, ranging from 4% in countries with relatively lower intake to approximately 14% in countries where these products account for more than half the daily caloric intake of adults.”
Nilson notes that the health effects of ultra-processed food consumption are multiple and likely mediated by different biological, chemical, physical, and behavioral mechanisms. “Among these are the replacement of fresh and minimally processed foods in the diet, the unbalanced nutritional profile, and physical changes in the food matrix. Industrial processing can interfere with nutrient absorption, for example, apple juice, often used as a natural sweetener, mainly contains free fructose, while eating a whole apple triggers a different absorption response due to its fiber and other natural components,” he explains. “Chemical changes also occur, for example, through the use of cosmetic food additives such as sweeteners, flavorings, emulsifiers, and artificial colorants, among others, as well as behavioral changes that interfere with satiety.”
Risk factor
“Due to the magnitude of the impact of consumption on premature mortality, the results indicate that it is important for ultra-processed foods to be recognized as risk factors for disease in all countries and to be treated as such,” the researcher recommends. “In terms of public policy in response to this, regulatory and fiscal measures should be prioritized, promoting healthier, more affordable, and accessible food choices, while discouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods.”
According to Nilson, educating and informing the population is essential, following the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, whose golden rule is to base the diet on fresh and minimally processed foods while avoiding ultra-processed ones. However, these choices heavily depend on a food environment that supports healthy decisions. “Examples of such policies include front-of-package nutritional labeling, such as warnings about excess sodium, saturated fats, and sugar, and the regulation of food sales in schools. There are already state and municipal laws, but not nationwide,” he points out.
“Other measures include regulating advertising, subsidizing fresh and minimally processed foods, and increasing taxes on harmful products, as seen in the Tax Reform, in which basic food basket items will be tax-exempt, while sugary drinks will be subject to selective taxation, along with cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.”
The study included Brazilian researchers affiliated with Nupens, Fiocruz, the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), and the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL). The research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Chile and the University of Santiago (Chile), the University of Montreal (Canada), the University of Antioquia (Colombia), Deakin University (Australia), and the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico.
The article Premature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 Countries is available at this link.
For more information: edunilson@gmail.com, with Eduardo Nilson
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
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A reprodução de matérias e fotografias é livre mediante a citação do Jornal da USP e do autor. No caso dos arquivos de áudio, deverão constar dos créditos a Rádio USP e, em sendo explicitados, os autores. Para uso de arquivos de vídeo, esses créditos deverão mencionar a TV USP e, caso estejam explicitados, os autores. Fotos devem ser creditadas como USP Imagens e o nome do fotógrafo.