People who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods like deli meats, sugary cereals and packaged snacks may not live as long as people who tend to avoid these foods, new research suggests.
Researchers used data collected over 30 years on nearly 75,000 women and 40,000 men, starting when participants were at least 40 years old and had no history of cancer, heart disease or diabetes. investigated. Participants shared information about their health every two years and completed detailed questionnaires about their eating habits.
Some of the ingredients in ultra-processed foods such as soda, potato chips, sausages, and candy, such as added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, may explain why ultra-processed foods are associated with shorter lifespans. That could be an explanation, says senior researcher Dr Kathryn Bradbury. from the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland in New Zealand was not involved in the new study.
“There’s a lot of evidence that these nutrients are harmful to health,” Dr. Bradbury says.
What is ultra-processed food?
Let’s take corn as an example. Whole ears of corn that you buy at the produce aisle are completely unprocessed, and canned or frozen whole corn kernels are also minimally processed. However, the corn chips in the snack aisle are super processed.
Some ultra-processed foods pose more health risks than others
One of the findings of this study is that not all ultra-processed foods are equally harmful from a longevity perspective.
For example, the study found that ultra-processed meat, poultry, and seafood in ready-to-eat products was associated with a 13% higher risk of premature death. Similarly, ultra-processed foods and carbonated drinks with added sugar or artificial sweeteners were found to have a 9% higher risk of premature death. Ice cream and other dairy-based desserts were associated with a 7% higher risk.
If you want to live longer, avoid processed meat and seafood.
However, it is difficult to translate the risk that consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods may shorten lifespan into specific months or years, said lead study author Mingyang Song, MBBS, ScD. To tell. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
“You can’t simply translate mortality risk into years of life lost or quality of life lost,” Dr. Song says.
But if your goal is to live longer, the results suggest that it makes sense to limit your intake of ultra-processed foods, especially ready-to-eat foods made with processed meat and seafood. , advises Mr. Song.
As with any food, it’s important to consider the quality of ultra-processed foods and the nutrients they contain to guide your choices, says Connie Diekman, R.D., food and nutrition consultant and past president of the Academy of Nutrition. says. And nutrition.
“Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, [and] Choose lean proteins,” advises Diekman, who was not involved in the new study.
Such a diet may include healthier processed foods, such as whole-grain breads, flavored yogurt, and nut milks, Diekman said.
“Processing only becomes a problem when the nutritional value of the food is lower than the calories it provides,” Diekman added. “The overall quality of your diet can support or harm your health.”
