You’re more likely to die from these health issues if you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods

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Ultra-processed foods are linked to a slew of health problems, including death from heart disease and other conditions, including Parkinson’s – the first time a link between the two has been identified – but they do not raise the risk of dying from cancer, a new study suggests.

Ultra-processed foods like sausages, breakfast cereals, crisps, instant noodles, and frozen meals are often high in sugar, saturated fat, and salt. 

The average person’s diet is heavy on ultra-processed foods, ranging from 14 per cent in Italy and Romania to 44 per cent in the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The new report from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research agency sheds some light on how they shape our health outcomes.

It found that eating more ultra-processed food is tied to a higher risk of death from heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, aneurysm, and related circulatory conditions, as well as digestive issues and Parkinson’s disease.

It’s the first analysis to identify a link between ultra-processed foods and Parkinson’s disease.

The researchers don’t yet know why all these connections are there, but said the findings make a compelling case to cut down on ultra-processed foods.

“Reducing [ultra-processed foods] while adopting a diet rich in unprocessed and minimally processed foods can have a significant positive impact on long-term health,” Esther González-Gil, a WHO scientist and the study’s lead author, told Euronews Health.

The study, which was published in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe journal, included nearly 429,000 people in nine countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

People were recruited to the research between 1992 and 2000 and followed for about 16 years, on average. Those who had had cancer, heart disease, stroke, or diabetes, or whose diets fell at extreme ends of the spectrum were not included.

Study raises questions about how certain foods shape health

Notably, there was no link between ultra-processed foods and deaths from Alzheimer’s disease or cancer – findings that run counter to previous studies.

Alcohol may help explain that discrepancy, the researchers said. Some drinks, like whisky, gin, and rum, are considered ultra-processed, meaning they are usually included in analyses on how these foods shape health. 

However, alcohol has its own role as a known cause of seven types of cancer.

González-Gil said the team is also investigating whether there is a link between ultra-processed foods and certain types of cancer, considering the study only looked at cancer overall.

“The inclusion of all cancer types combined could dilute potential positive associations for certain cancers,” she said.

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Meanwhile, the elevated mortality risks for Parkinson’s but not for Alzheimer’s – despite both being neurodegenerative diseases – is another puzzle. The study authors said this could be due to underdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s still unclear.

The links between ultra-processed foods and other health risks were more clear cut, holding up even when the researchers controlled for things like smoking status, obesity, physical activity, and socioeconomic factors.

How dietary changes can improve health

The study has some limitations. Meals that were often homemade when the research began in the 1990s could be heavily processed today, the researchers said.

Changes to food processing techniques and rules – for example, the EU’s restrictions on trans fats, which were enacted in 2021 – were also not taken into account.

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Even so, the study offers some real-world insights by showing that even small dietary changes can have a major impact on health risks.

Replacing 10 per cent of the processed and ultra-processed foods in someone’s daily diet with whole or minimally processed foods – like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains – was associated with a lower risk of death, the analysis found.

González-Gil said that could be due to the “double effect” of cutting out processed foods and adding healthier options.

“Prioritising fresh, whole foods over ultra-processed alternatives is a proactive step towards a healthier life,” she said.

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