These processed foods can knock years off your life

Closeup of mid 20's blond woman leaning over large freezer in a supermarket and reaching for some frozen food. She's carrying red shopping basket which is almost full of unrecognizable items. Tilt shot.
Closeup of mid 20's blond woman leaning over large freezer in a supermarket and reaching for some frozen food. She's carrying red shopping basket which is almost full of unrecognizable items. Tilt shot.

Eating a lot of heavily processed foods is linked to a risk of earlier death, according to a new French study.

Eating heavily processed foods such as burgers, pizza and ready meals can lead to an early death, according to researchers in France who surveyed more than 44,000 participants between ages 45 and 64. They found that those who ate more processed foods were more likely to die from illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

The researchers reported that middle-aged French people who ate 10% more so-called “ultra-processed” food had a slightly increased chance of dying over a 7-year period compared with those who ate less, reports The Guardian.

The study started in 2009 and followed participants over the course of seven years. During that time, there were 602 deaths, of which 219 were from cancer, and 34 were from cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that the deaths were more likely to occur in those who regularly ate ‘ultra-processed’ foods.

They give examples as including “mass produced and packaged snacks, sugary drinks, breads, confectionaries, ready-made meals and processed meats”.

However, the NHS in the U.K. cautions that while some of these foods may be unhealthy, it seems unhelpful to group together nutrient-free sugary drinks and ready-made vegetable soups, for example.

As one dietitian points out: “Bread or biscuits baked at home would not be considered ultra-processed, whereby shop bought versions would, despite identical ingredients.”

“Ultra-processed foods consumption has largely increased during the past several decades and may drive a growing burden of non-communicable disease deaths,” said Dr Laure Schnabel, a nutritional epidemiologist at Paris-Sorbonne University and co-author of the study.

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