4 to 14 percent of premature deaths attributable to ultraprocessed foods in countries with low, high intake
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Ultraprocessed food intake contributes to all-cause mortality, according to research published online April 28 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Eduardo A.F. Nilson, D.Sc., from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brasília, Brazil, and colleagues conducted a dose-response meta-analysis of observational cohort studies to examine the association between ultraprocessed food consumption and all-cause mortality. The pooled average effect (RR) for all-cause mortality was estimated per 10 percent increment in the percentage of ultraprocessed food. The population-attributable fractions for premature all-cause mortality attributable to the ultraprocessed foods were estimated in eight countries with relatively low, intermediate, and high ultraprocessed food consumption.
The researchers observed a linear dose-response association for ultraprocessed food consumption and all-cause mortality in the meta-analysis (RR, 1.03 for each 10 percent increase in percentage ultraprocessed food). Estimations varied from 4 percent (Colombia; relatively low ultraprocessed food consumption) to 14 percent (United Kingdom and United States; high ultraprocessed food consumption) of premature deaths attributable to ultraprocessed food intake considering the magnitude of the association between ultraprocessed food intake and the percentage ultraprocessed food in each of the selected countries.
“These findings highlight that adherence to ultraprocessed dietary pattern represents a relevant public health concern in middle- and high-income countries,” the authors write. “The findings support the need for reducing the consumption of ultraprocessed food through creation of healthy environments using regulatory and fiscal policies.”
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