Premature Deaths Linked to Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
May 15, 2025
- What was studied?
Researchers pooled data from seven long-term studies and 240,000 adults, then combined that with the latest national diet surveys from eight countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the UK and the USA). -
Key finding #1 – risk goes up quickly
Every extra 10 % of daily kilojoules that comes from UPFs (think packaged snacks, soft drinks, instant noodles) raises the odds of dying early by about 3 %. -
Key finding #2 – national impact is big
When the team applied that risk to real-world eating patterns, they estimated that UPFs may account for:-
≈ 14 % of premature deaths in the USA and UK (where over half of average energy intake is from UPFs)
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≈ 9 % in Australia, 11 % in Canada
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4–6 % in Latin-American countries that still eat more fresh foods
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Why it matters
Swapping even part of the UPFs in our diets for minimally processed foods—whole fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts, home-cooked meals—could prevent thousands of early deaths each year. -
Take-home message
Limit foods that come in shiny packets with long ingredient lists. The more whole or minimally processed your plate, the better your odds of a long, healthy life. Governments can help by taxing or labelling UPFs and making fresh food more affordable.
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