Chicago [USA], according to a recent study, older people who reported consuming more ultra-processed foods were almost 10 percent more likely to die after a median follow-up of 23 years than older adults who reported consume less processed foods.
The results come from a large study that followed more than 500,000 people in the United States for about thirty years. The findings showed that consuming more ultra-processed foods was linked to slight increases in deaths from heart disease and diabetes, as well as deaths from all causes. However, no correlation was observed in cancer deaths.
"The results of our study support a broader body of literature, including observational and experimental studies, indicating that the intake of ultra-processed foods negatively affects health and longevity," said Erikka Loftfield, PhD, a Stadtman researcher at the National Cancer Institute. "However, there is still a lot we don't know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods pose potential health risks."
Loftfield will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the American Society for Nutrition's flagship annual meeting held June 29-July 2 in Chicago.
The research drew data from more than 540,000 people who provided information about their eating habits and health in the mid-1990s, when they were between 50 and 71 years old. Since then, more than half of the participants have died. The researchers looked at overall death rates among those who were in the 90th percentile for ultra-processed food consumption at the start of the study versus those in the 10th percentile, and also looked at associations with specific foods and specific diseases.
"We observed that highly processed meat and soft drinks were some of the subgroups of ultra-processed foods most strongly associated with mortality risk and a diet low in these foods is already recommended for disease prevention and health promotion" Loftfield said. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sugary drinks and processed meats, such as hot dogs, hot dogs, and deli meats.
For this study, researchers used multiple strategies to classify the level of processing of various foods. This included breaking down food frequency questionnaire data into particular types of foods and ingredients, as well as incorporating expert consensus to categorize dietary components according to a rubric known as the NOVA classification system.
The researchers also took into account other factors that can increase a person's risk of death, such as smoking and obesity. They found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods also tended to have a higher body mass index and a lower score on the Healthy Eating Index (a measure of diet quality based on how closely the a person's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans). However, the analysis showed that the associations between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased mortality were not explained by these variables, as the associations between increased intake of ultra-processed foods and mortality risk persisted among people classified as having better or worse diet quality. as among those classified as normal weight or obese.
The results come from a large study that followed more than 500,000 people in the United States for about thirty years. The findings showed that consuming more ultra-processed foods was linked to slight increases in deaths from heart disease and diabetes, as well as deaths from all causes. However, no correlation was observed in cancer deaths.
"The results of our study support a broader body of literature, including observational and experimental studies, indicating that the intake of ultra-processed foods negatively affects health and longevity," said Erikka Loftfield, PhD, a Stadtman researcher at the National Cancer Institute. "However, there is still a lot we don't know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods pose potential health risks."
Loftfield will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the American Society for Nutrition's flagship annual meeting held June 29-July 2 in Chicago.
The research drew data from more than 540,000 people who provided information about their eating habits and health in the mid-1990s, when they were between 50 and 71 years old. Since then, more than half of the participants have died. The researchers looked at overall death rates among those who were in the 90th percentile for ultra-processed food consumption at the start of the study versus those in the 10th percentile, and also looked at associations with specific foods and specific diseases.
"We observed that highly processed meat and soft drinks were some of the subgroups of ultra-processed foods most strongly associated with mortality risk and a diet low in these foods is already recommended for disease prevention and health promotion" Loftfield said. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sugary drinks and processed meats, such as hot dogs, hot dogs, and deli meats.
For this study, researchers used multiple strategies to classify the level of processing of various foods. This included breaking down food frequency questionnaire data into particular types of foods and ingredients, as well as incorporating expert consensus to categorize dietary components according to a rubric known as the NOVA classification system.
The researchers also took into account other factors that can increase a person's risk of death, such as smoking and obesity. They found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods also tended to have a higher body mass index and a lower score on the Healthy Eating Index (a measure of diet quality based on how closely the a person's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans). However, the analysis showed that the associations between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased mortality were not explained by these variables, as the associations between increased intake of ultra-processed foods and mortality risk persisted among people classified as having better or worse diet quality. as among those classified as normal weight or obese.
