Impact of Ultra-Processed Food on Health
Ultra-processed food is directly linked to 32 harmful effects on health, including a higher risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and early death. The world's largest review of its kind found that diets high in ultra-processed food are harmful to many aspects of health.
Key Points
- Higher exposure to ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of 32 adverse health outcomes
- Convincing evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, anxiety, common mental disorders, and type 2 diabetes
- Highly suggestive evidence of increased risk of heart disease-related death, obesity, depression, and other health issues
Pros
- Comprehensive review involving almost 10 million people
- Direct associations with adverse health outcomes like cancer, heart disease, and mental disorders
- Provides rationale for public health measures to reduce exposure to ultra-processed foods
Cons
- Some limitations in the umbrella review, including potential unmeasured factors
- Findings do not prove cause and effect
- Criticism from experts on the strength of the research included