Ultra-processed food tied to higher risk of early death, study finds. What to avoid

Ultra-processed foods, such as processed meat, fizzy drinks, ice cream and sugary cereals are linked to a higher risk of early death, according to a recent study.

Ultra-processed foods, such as ready-to-eat meat, fizzy drinks, ice cream and sugary cereals are linked to a higher risk of early death, according to a new study.

The U.S.-based research, published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that over a span of 34 years, people who consumed a greater quantity of highly-processed foods (averaging seven servings per day) faced an increased risk of mortality compared to those who consumed fewer servings (averaging three servings per day).

“The association is quite linear. The higher intake of ultra-processed foods, the higher mortality,” said Mingyang Song, senior author and associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Not all ultra-processed food products should be universally restricted, Song said, but the findings provide support for limiting the consumption of certain types of ultra-processed food, like processed meats, for long-term health.

Ultra-processed foods go through multiple processes such as extrusion, molding, milling, etc., and contain many added ingredients and are highly manipulated, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Processed foods, meanwhile, refer to foods where ingredients such as oil, sugar or salt are added, and they are packaged.

Ultra-processed foods encompass a wide range of products, including packaged baked goods, candy, chips, sweetened drinks, bacon and hot dogs. These items are laden with additives, sugars and unhealthy fats, and also lack essential nutrients like vitamins and fibre, explained Amanda Nash, a registered dietician with the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The prevalence of these foods is also increasing in high-income countries such as Canada, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A 2015 study by the organization found that Canadians get nearly 50 per cent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.

“We know that Canadians are the second-largest buyers of ultra-processed foods and drinks in the world, second only to Americans,” Nash said. “The purpose of an ultra-processing is to create a product that’s going to be convenient. That means it’s durable, it’s ready to eat, ready to heat, or ready to drink. It’s attractive and it’s profitable, generally using cheaper ingredients.”