Sam Amico
Once and for all, put down that bag of potato chips. You probably already know that, and you also probably know avoiding processed food is not an easy thing to do.
Videos by Rare
But you now have yet another reason.
According to a new study, ultra-processed foods can cause more than 30 health complications, including depression, sleep disturbances and (drumroll please) death.
“Overall, direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 (71%) health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes,” study author Dr. Melissa Lane, an associate research fellow at Deakin University, told South West News Service, via the New York Post.
“These findings support urgent mechanistic research and public health actions that seek to target and minimize ultra-processed food consumption for improved population health.”
The Post added:
Ultra-processed foods — low-cost, easy-to-prepare items like cereal bars, frozen meals and pre-packaged snacks — comprise 60% of Americans’ diets and have been previously linked to poor health outcomes like cancer or cognitive decline.
The most “convincing” studies researchers found on the effects of high ultra-processed food consumption culminated in a 50% increased risk of death related to cardiovascular disease, a 48-53% increased risk of mental disorders or anxiety and a 12% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Other studies “highly suggest[ed]” that ultra-processed food was linked to an overall 40-60% heightened risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, sleep issues, and mortality related to heart disease. It was also associated with a 22% higher risk of developing depression and a 21% higher risk of all-cause mortality.
