We are all aware that junk food is not particularly healthy. But lots of us still indulge in it, some eating it only as an occasional treat while others indulge in it more regularly.
Health bodies and experts have long warned of some of the risks that come with eating too much junk food, including raised blood pressure and cholesterol.
However, new research has linked it to more than 30 specific illnesses and concluded that it can even raise your risk of dying younger.
A study, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and anxiety among many other health problems.
UPFs have been the focus of much talk in the medical industry in recent years over concerns about the impact on the human body. These are foods that typically have five or more ingredients and include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours.
Popular UPFs include things like crisps, biscuits, breakfast cereals, sweets, ham, sausages and mass-produced bread.
Speaking about the research, Dr Charlotte Gupta – from the Central Queensland University in Australia which was one of the universities involved, said: “We know these foods aren’t considered ‘healthy’, but this sheds new light on how damaging they can be.”
The research team from Australia are now warning that more is needed to be done to prevent people eating so many UPFs,
As part of the study the researchers analysed the health data and diets of almost 10 million people from 14 separate existing studies.
They found that the chances of dying from heart disease skyrocketed by 50 percent among people who ate lots of UPFs.
On top of this, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased by 12 percent.
Among people who ate the most UPFs the likelihood of developing anxiety was 53 percent higher.
Overall, UPFs were linked to an increased risk of 28 health issues including depression, sleep issues, asthma, Crohn’s disease and certain cancers.
Ultra-processed foods are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar but low in fibre and vitamins.
As reported by The Sun, lead author Dr Melissa Lane said: “These findings support urgent mechanistic research and public health actions that seek to target and minimise ultra-processed food consumption for improved population health.”
Professor Amelia Lake, from Teesside University, agreed. She added: “This is important [research] and is going to help shape future research and policy direction around ultra-processed foods and our population health.”
The study linked consumption of UPFs to a higher risk of:
- All-cause death
- Cancer-related death
- Cardiovascular disease death
- Breast cancer
- Cancer (overall)
- Central nervous system tumours
- Leukaemia
- Colorectal cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Sleep issues
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Other mental health conditions
- Asthma
- Wheezing
- Cardiovascular disease events ie, heart attack, heart failure
- Hypertension
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Hyperglycaemia
- Metabolic syndrome
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Obesity
- Being overweight
- Type 2 diabetes.
To stay healthy the NHS recommends eating a balanced diet.
This means consuming a variety of different foods from the five main food groups to get a wide range of nutrients.
These are:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
- Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
- Dairy and alternatives
- Oils and spreads.
The health body also warns that: “Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or fibre.”
