Ultraprocesados aumentan mortalidad

Higher Intake of Ultraprocessed Foods Tied to Increased Mortality Risk

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Among adults, the risk for death increases as the intake of ultraprocessed foods increases, according to a prospective study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Ultraprocessed foods (e.g., packaged breads and snacks) are manufactured from numerous ingredients and generally include additives. 

Researchers in France studied nearly 45,000 adults aged 45 and older who completed multiple 24-hour dietary recall assessments over a 2-year period. During a median follow-up of 7 years, 1.4% of the cohort died. After adjustment for body-mass index, smoking status, and other confounders, the mortality risk was 14% higher with each 10% increase in the amount of ultraprocessed foods consumed.

The researchers propose several reasons for the association — for example, when foods are processed under high temperatures, potentially carcinogenic contaminants form.

JAMA Internal Medicine article (Free abstract)

Background: Physician's First Watch coverage of ultraprocessed foods and cancer risk (Free)