STUDY REVEALS ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD INCREASES EARLY DEATH RISKS IN UK – Nilson says additives like sweeteners and flavourings also harm health

An international study, which recently revealed that consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food (UPF) increases the risks of early death in the UK, has reignited calls for a crackdown on UPF.

According to research in England, the intake of 10% and more of UPF in products including bread, cakes and ready made meals, increases death risk before the age of 75 by 3%, and a paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has named UPF as the cause of one in seven of all premature deaths in some countries

Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, who is the lead investigator of the study, from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, said that additives such as sweeteners and flavourings harm health not just UPFs’ high levels of fat, salt and sugar.

A linear dose-response association between UPF consumption and all-cause mortality”  was reportedly established by the authors upon examination of official surveys previously undertaken in the UK and US, as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile and Mexico.   

The findings add to the growing body of evidence linking UPF to a higher risk of both specific illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease, and an increased risk overall of dying before age 75

The authors urged governments worldwide to introduce bold measures to tackle UPF, including tighter regulation of food marketing and the sale of food in schools and workplaces, and also taxes on UPF products to reduce sales.