Many people already know that ultra-processed foods are not the best choice for our health, but recent research reinforces that conclusion, establishing a link between eating certain types of food and a risk of early death, according to Yahoo LIfe.
Junk food. PHOTO Shutterstock
The study, carried out at Harvard and published in the journal The BMJ, covers a period of 30 years. Researchers followed more than 114,000 adults and found a link between eating certain foods and the risk of dying.
However, not all ultra-processed foods are the same when it comes to health risks.
The strongest links were found among ready-to-eat meat, poultry and seafood products such as sausages, ham, hot dogs, ready meals and processed snacks.
Sugary and artificially sweetened soft drinks were the next category incriminated, followed by dairy-based desserts.
The most harmful diets contain large amounts of ready-made processed meat and fish products. These diets increase the risk of death by 13%, according to research.
For diets high in sugary and artificially sweetened beverages, the risk is 9% higher. Dairy-based desserts – such as cheesecake or fromage frais – were linked to a 6% higher risk.
Although they often get a bad rap, bread and breakfast cereals were linked with just 4% growth.
The study participants were divided into four groups based on the number of ultra-processed foods they consumed.
The study authors found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods overall (an average of seven servings of ultra-processed foods per day) had a 4 percent higher risk of dying than those who ate the least (three servings per day).
The researchers identified, in the years that followed, 48,193 deaths from cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurodegenerative diseases.
It should be noted, however, that this study was observational, which means that although researchers can see a correlation, they cannot say for sure that ultra-processed foods were the cause of the deaths.
The researchers admit that not all ultra-processed foods should be universally restricted, but say the study's findings “provides support for limiting consumption of certain types of ultra-processed foods for long-term health.”
Ultra-processed foods to avoid
Yahoo Life consulted several experts to identify which foods to avoid and made a list that included: processed meat and seafood; sausage, hot dog ham, artificial sweeteners and refined sugar.
But experts say that while limiting the consumption of certain ultra-processed foods could have an impact on long-term health, what matters most is a balanced diet.
