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Ultra-processed foods, such as packaged snacks, carbonated drinks, instant noodles, and ready-made meals, are primarily industrial formulas composed of chemically modified substances and additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal or no inclusion of whole foods.
The study analyzed 45 researches involving nearly 10 million people and examined the effects of consuming ultra-processed foods on mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health.
According to the authors, there is consistent evidence indicating a higher risk of adverse health outcomes associated with greater exposure to ultra-processed foods.
The study found that there are direct associations between a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of premature death, deaths from heart disease, common mental disorders, overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Ultra-processed foods were also associated with a higher risk of asthma, gastrointestinal problems, some cancers, and others.
Researchers stated that they found consistent evidence linking higher intakes of such foods with more than 70% of the 45 health outcomes evaluated.
For example, there is strong evidence showing that a higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with approximately a 50% higher risk of death related to cardiovascular diseases and common mental disorders, said lead author Melissa Lane, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia.
The study reported evidence that a high intake of ultra-processed food could increase anxiety by 53% and the risk of premature death from any cause by 20%.