Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to the Risk of Chronic Diseases

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) was associated with increased risks of multiple chronic diseases and all-cause mortality, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 prospective cohort studies involving 8,819,894 adults. Compared with lower consumption, higher UPF intake was associated with greater risks of cardiovascular events (HR 1.24), cancer (HR 1.12), overweight/obesity (HR 1.23), metabolic syndrome/diabetes (HR 1.24), depression/anxiety (HR 1.27), digestive diseases (HR 1.31), and all-cause mortality (HR 1.18). Dose-response analyses further found that each additional 100 g/day of UPFs was associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events (HR 1.14), cancer (HR 1.04), all-cause mortality (HR 1.03), and metabolic syndrome/diabetes (HR 1.02). Overall, the evidence was considered low to moderate certainty; nevertheless, reducing UPF consumption may be relevant to chronic disease prevention. Source: https://fmch.bmj.com/