Could Ultra-Processed Food Be Linked to Early Death?

Indulging in snack cakes and chips may seem worth the risk of diabetes and hypertension, but what about death?

Years after linking junk food and chronic health conditions, a new study found a correlation between processed food and an increased risk of premature, preventable death.

According to the study, the deaths of 57,000 Brazilians between the ages of 30 and 69 in 2019 – more than 10 percent of premature deaths among that age group – were due to the consumption of ultra-processed foods. It was published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Shane Joy, PA, a primary care provider with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, explains what ultra-processed foods are, why they’re unhealthy and how to integrate them into a balanced diet.

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Processed vs. ultra-processed

Processed food includes any food that has ingredients added before packing, said Joy.

“Whether the ingredients are beneficial or not does not matter. As long as the food is altered before packaging, it’s considered processed,” said Joy.

Ultra-processed foods, however, are foods that have gone through multiple cycles of processing before packaging. Ultimately, he said they end up far from their unprocessed form.

“The more processes a food goes through, the more nutritional value is lost.”

> This Is Your Brain on Junk Food: Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Cognitive Decline

There are healthy processed foods.

To read more about what healthy processed foods are, visit the Health News Hub.