Many microwave ready meals are an example of ultra-processed foods, containing lost lists of ingredients.and preservatives.© monkeybusinessimages/Getty
We’re increasingly learning that ultra-processed foods are bad for our health. But according to new research, some of these foods may be worse for our health than others.
In the U.S., ultra-processed foods account for almost 60 percent of our energy intake, according to research published in The BMJ. This includes packaged snacks, carbonated drinks, instant noodles, ready meals and most products that contain a long list of unrecognizable ingredients, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners and artificial flavorings.
Numerous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and bowel cancer, as well as obesity. However, according to new research, not all ultra-processed foods are equal, especially when it comes to all-cause mortality.
The study published in The BMJ tracked the long-term health of 74,563 female nurses and 39,501 male health professionals in the U.S. over a roughly 34-year period. Participants had no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes at the start of the study.
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Every two years, participants provided information on their health and lifestyle habits, and they completed a detailed food questionnaire every four years.
During the study period, there were 48,193 deaths, 13,557 of which were due to cancer and 11,416 of which were due to cardiovascular disease.
In total, those who had the lowest consumption of ultra-processed foods (an average of three servings per day) had a 4 percent lower risk of death, compared with those who had the highest consumption (an average of seven servings per day.) However, this varied for different food types.
Those who ate highly processed meat, poultry and seafood products showed the highest and most consistent increased death risk, with sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, desserts and breakfast foods coming in at a close second.
However, the associations were less pronounced when overall diet quality was taken into account. The researchers said this indicates that diet quality has a stronger influence over long-term health than eating the odd ultra-processed snack.
“It is noticeable that those who consumed most ultra-processed foods tended to eat few vegetables, fruit, legumes and wholegrain,” Duane Mellor, a dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association who was not involved in the study, said in a statement.
“This appeared to suggest that it might not be as simple as that those who ate more ultra-processed foods were more likely to die earlier,” he said. “It is quite possible that these foods might displace healthier foods from the diet.”
Of course, this study is purely observational, and more work is needed to confirm these associations and the potential mechanisms that might underlie them. However, the large sample size and extensive follow-up time used in the study highlight the need for further research in this area.
The researchers concluded that their results indicate a need for more specific recommendations on ultra-processed foods.
“The findings provide support for limiting consumption of certain types of ultra-processed food for long term health,” the researchers wrote. “Future studies are warranted to improve the classification of ultra-processed foods and confirm our findings in other populations.”