Ultra-processed food linked to 32 harmful health effects, research finds

Ultra processed food (UPF) has been linked to 32 medical conditions, including mental health impacts, cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and premature death.

10 million participants

The research, published by The BMJ (the rebranded British Medical Journal), is the largest umbrella review of its kind, taking in studies that involved nearly 10 million participants. It was led by experts from around the world including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US, the Sorbonne in France, and the University of Sydney. Writing in the BMJ, they concluded: “Overall, direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.”

Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.

Industrial food

Ultra-processed food is made via a range of industrial processes and using chemical additives such as colours, thickeners, and flavourings that are not commonly found in the domestic kitchen. From breakfast cereals to hot dogs and instant noodles, a variety of packaged snacks, ready meals, soft drinks, and even prepared baked goods – all are considered UPFs that offer poor nutrition while being high in fats, salts and sugars. 

50% increased risk

Looking at evidence from food intake questionnaires, participants’ dietary history and daily food diaries, the researchers confirmed that high intake of UPFs is linked to an increased health risk for breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, Crohn’s disease, increased anxiety, sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, and liver disease, as well as a number of other serious outcomes.

Some of the data is shocking. The study found that UPFs were associated with a 50% higher risk of mental illness, and fatal cardiovascular disease, and more than 10% increased risk for type 2 diabetes. In fact, those who consume more UPFs are at a 21% increased risk of death from any cause, the researchers said.

Clear link

The findings have widely been agreed with and supported by other leaders in the field, such as University College London’s Dr Chris van Tulleken, who said the research matched evidence from an “enormous number of independent studies which clearly link a diet high in UPF to multiple damaging health outcomes including early death”.

Recommendations made by the authors include urgent public health strategies, backed by legislative frameworks, to reduce “dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods for improved human health.” 

The researchers also noted the disproportionate impact of UPFs on disadvantaged communities. Dana Hunnes PhD, senior clinical dietician at UCLA, commenting independently, told Medical News Today: “Unfortunately, ultra-processed foods are inexpensive to purchase [but] expensive in terms of health,” she added. “Individuals need to look at what they can afford in their diet and make incremental changes.