What do studies show about the regular consumption of ultra-processed foods?
A handful of corn chips during a football game or a store-bought cookie after dinner won’t make a huge difference in your overall health. However, when these foods become staples in your diet, research shows that adverse physical and mental health implications may arise.
Ultra-processed foods may lead to poor mental health outcomes
A 2022 cross-sectional examination in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that individuals who consumed the greatest amount of ultra-processed foods were significantly more likely to report mild depression, as well as more mentally unhealthy and more anxious days per month. The authors noted that the associations with adverse mental health outcomes and ultra-processed foods might derive from the greater presence of biologically active food additives and low-essential nutrients.Â
Another study published in the August 2023 issue of the Journal of Affective Orders found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with depressive symptoms, especially in people with obesity.
Ultra-processed food intake may increase the risk of cancer, as well as all-cause and cardiovascular risk mortality
Recent data, derived from three large prospective cohort studies and published in the British Medical Journal, found that men (but not women) who consumed a large amount of ultra-processed foods had a 29% greater risk of colorectal cancer than men who consumed smaller amounts. The men who consumed the highest amount of ultra-processed foods consumed mostly ready-to-eat products derived from meat, poultry or fish. Another recent study in the BMJ found that food processing (and consumption of foods highly processed) was linked with higher mortality risk, especially from cardiovascular disease.
Studies show that ultra-processed foods may also lead to adverse health outcomes due to associations related to excess consumption with obesity, heart disease and…
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