Highly Processed Foods Linked to Increased Risk of Death

Credit: Eclectic Jack@flickr

A new JAMA Internal Medicine study has linked ultra-processed foods to shorter life spans. These include popular food staples such as instant noodles and soups, breakfast cereals, energy bars and drinks, chicken nuggets and many other ready-made meals and packaged snacks often thought of as convenience foods.

“Such foods are attractive because they tend to be cheaper, are highly palatable due to high sugar, salt, and saturated fat content, are widely available, highly marketed, ready to eat, and their use-by dates are lengthy, so they last longer,” Nita Forouhi of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge told The Guardian.

The latest study conducted in France examined the diet of more than 44,000 middle-aged adults over a roughly eight-year period. While the results were not considered causal, the study did find that a 10 percent increase in the proportion of ultra-processed food consumption was linked to a 14 percent increase in the risk of mortality.

NOVA Food Guide Measures Degree of Processing

Ultra-processed foods fall at the far end of the NOVA food classification system, which categorizes foods according to the extent and purpose of food processing, rather than in terms of nutrients. All foods and food products fit into one of four distinct  groups: unprocessed foods (edible parts of plants and animals); processed ingredients (like oils, flour or sugar); processed foods (which involve cooking unprocessed foods with processed ingredients to make breads or canned vegetables); and ultra-processed foods (which don’t have any intact, unprocessed parts).

A long list of barely pronounceable ingredients printed on a processed food item indicates it’s packed with artificial preservatives, colorants, and
flavorings that could be negatively affecting your health.
Credit: Mike Mozart@flickr.com

It’s this last category — highly or ultra-processed foods —  that most impedes our well-being. Even before the 2018 study, processed foods, which are more highly consumed in the Western Hemisphere, were known major contributors to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Highly processed foods and beverages are also the largest sources of added sugar, which is known to have serious adverse effects on metabolism when consumed in excess. In addition, the sweet, salty and fatty ingredients contained in highly processed foods actually trigger the brain to overconsumption —  dangerous to the consumer but advantageous to the manufacturer focused on sales. Chemical additives abound in these foods as well.

Four Processed Foods to Avoid

While avoiding processed foods completely is almost impossible, here are four food groups best eliminated from a healthful diet:

• Deli meat, bacon, hot dogs, and sausages which contain high levels of saturated fat, sodium and preservatives.
• Sweet drinks. (Soda — both regular and diet — has been linked to an increased risk of heart, kidney and liver disease, stroke, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and osteoporosis.)
• Quick meals like jarred, canned, frozen, and microwavable meals, which often contain too much sugar, sodium, and preservatives.
• Commercially baked and packaged cookies, cakes, and doughnuts, which in addition to their high sugar and fat content, often contain trans fats, which are linked to cancer, infertility, and cognitive disorders.

Some Processed Foods are OK

Processed foods that are minimally and/or mechanically processed can be a part of a healthy balanced diet because they contain little to no added sugars and/or chemicals. Though it’s important to read the ingredient labels to check the sugar and sodium content, the following processed foods can be good for you.

Credit: F Delventhal @ flickr

• Frozen veggies and fruits because they’re minimally processed, and therefore retain most of their nutrients.
• Canned beans, which are rich in fiber, protein, and iron. Plus, they’re low in fat and cost.
• Yogurt, which is a great source of calcium, protein, vitamins, and probiotics. Avoid the flavored and sweetened varieties; instead, add fresh fruit and a little honey.
• Packaged nuts and nut butters. They’re a great source of fiber and protein.
• Popcorn — minus the melted butter and extra salt.
• Jarred and canned tomatoes which, when minimally processed actually contain more cancer-fighting lycopene than fresh ones!
• Whole-grain breads, crackers and pasta. The whole grain content can improve your cholesterol levels, blood sugar regulation, digestion, immunity, and more.
• Sugar-free bottled water and seltzer.