A diet high in highly processed foods can be harmful to every part of the body, according to a major study.
Eating many foods, such as ready meals, sugary cereals and mass-produced bread, is linked to an increased risk of 32 health problems, including cancer, type 2 diabetes and mental health disorders.
Often high in fat, salt and sugar and low in vitamins and fibre, the researchers found convincing evidence that higher consumption is associated with a 50% greater risk of death from heart attack or stroke.
In the largest analysis of data to date involving 10 million people, the researchers found that those who ate more had a 40 to 66% increased risk of dying from heart disease.
They were also significantly more likely to be diagnosed with obesity, lung disease and sleep problems.
By comparing processed foods to smoking, the researchers raised the alarm and stressed that government intervention is needed. They even suggested that food should be labelled as ‘over-processed’.
Over-processed foods are those that we usually buy ready-made and are pre-cooked. They usually contain chemicals and colourings, sweeteners and preservatives that prolong their shelf life.
“Restrictions on advertising should be placed and sales should be banned “in or near schools and hospitals”, experts say.
Governments should adopt national dietary guidelines recommending varieties of minimally processed foods while taking steps to make freshly prepared meals cheaper and more accessible to all.
The UK is the worst in Europe in terms of consumption of highly processed foods, estimated to make up 57% of the national diet. They are thought to be a key contributor to obesity, which costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year.
They often contain colours, emulsifiers, flavours and other additives, and usually undergo multiple industrial processes, which research suggests degrade the natural structure of food, making it quickly absorbed.
This in turn increases blood sugar, reduces satiety and damages the microbiome – the friendly bacteria that live inside us and on which our good health depends.
Food additives such as non-nutritive sweeteners, modified starches, gums and emulsifiers also appear to affect the microbiome, gut inflammation levels and metabolic responses to food, which can also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
An umbrella review conducted by academics in Australia analysed 14 articles published in the last three years that linked consumption to poor health outcomes.
There was convincing evidence that higher intake was associated with a 50% greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease, a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes and a 48-53% greater risk of stress.
There was “very convincing” evidence that eating more over-processed foods can increase the chances of death from any cause by a fifth.
Researchers from Deakin University in Australia also found a 22% greater risk of depression and a 21% greater risk of death from any cause.
Evidence between UPF intake and asthma, gastrointestinal health, certain cancers and intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors remains limited, they said.
In an accompanying editorial, academics from São Paulo, Brazil, said: “Overall, the authors found that diets high in over-processed foods may be harmful to most – perhaps all – body systems.”
They wrote: “There is no reason to believe that people can fully adapt to these products.
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The body may react to them as useless or harmful, in which case its systems may be weakened or damaged, depending on their vulnerability and the amount of over-processed food consumed.”
“It is now time for governments to develop and implement a convention on highly processed foods, similar to the one on smoking.”
“Many studies have also shown that people who consume a lot of highly processed foods also have unhealthy lifestyles and therefore a higher risk of disease.
Although many studies try to adjust for this, it is practically impossible to do so completely. Pre-packaged foods should be labelled with various information to help consumers before they buy them.”
