Being Famous For Their Delicious Taste, These Foods Increase the Risk of Premature Death

JAKARTA - Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health say that ultra-processed foods, especially processed meats, sweet foods, and sweet drinks that contain high levels of sugar can increase the risk of premature death.

This was revealed by Mingyang Song, professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition. The study was published on May 8 in The BMJ.

"There is great interest from the public and the scientific community in understanding the health impacts of ultra-processed foods, which now account for more than 60% of daily calories in America," said Song, quoted by VOI from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health page on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

While many studies have investigated ultra-processed foods, Song and his colleagues focused on the health consequences of frequently consuming ultra-processed foods.

Researchers examined diets with health data from more than 114,000 American adults enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Dietary habits were reported every four years for more than three decades.

The researchers measured participants’ daily intake of ultra-processed foods in nine subgroups: ultra-processed breads, sweet high-fat breakfasts, condiments, sauces, snacks.

Then there were high-sugar sweet desserts and unnaturally sweetened beverages. Next were fast food, processed meats, savory packaged foods, dairy-based desserts, and others.

Participants who consumed the least ultra-processed foods of any type ate three servings per day. Participants who consumed the most ultra-processed foods ate about seven servings per day.

During the study period, 48,193 participants died, from cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The study found that participants who consumed the most ultra-processed foods of any type would face a 4 percent higher risk of death from all causes.

Then, an 8 percent higher risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases, than those who consumed the least ultra-processed foods.

Processed meat was the food most strongly associated with increased risk of death from all causes. Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, dairy-based desserts, and ultra-processed breakfast foods showed associations with higher all-cause mortality, as did the miscellaneous subgroup, most of which included artificial sweeteners.

The researchers note that overall diet quality is ultimately the most important factor for health. However, there are also some ultra-processed foods that are healthy.

"Whole-grain cereals and breads are considered ultra-processed foods, but they contain a variety of beneficial nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals," Song said.

"On the other hand, I think people should try to avoid or limit their consumption of certain ultra-processed foods, such as processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and potentially unnaturally sweetened beverages."