Investigators reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that in 2019, ultra-processed foods with almost no complete foods in edible ingredients led to 57,000 premature deaths in Brazil. In many countries, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have gradually replaced traditional foods and meals made from fresh and minimally processed ingredients. These ready-to-eat or heated industrial formulas, made with ingredients extracted from food or synthesized in the laboratory, are well known to be unhealthy.
Elsevier, a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that in 2019, the increase in these food consumption was associated with more than 10% of all-cause premature, preventable deaths. Despite the fact that Brazilians consume these products much less than those in high-income countries.
" Previous modeling studies estimate the health and economic burden of key ingredients such as sodium, sugar and trans fat , as well as specific foods or beverages such as sugared beverages," explains the Chief Investigator Eduardo A.F. Nilson, ScD, Center for Epidemiology of Nutrition and Health of the University of São Paulo and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil. "To our knowledge, no research has so far estimated the potential impact of UPF on premature death. Understanding the deaths caused by eating these foods and modeling how changes in dietary patterns support more effective food policies that may prevent disease and premature death."
Dr. Nilson and colleagues modeled data from a nationally representative dietary survey to estimate UPF baseline intake by gender and age group. Using 2019 data, statistical analysis was used to estimate the proportion of total deaths caused by UPF consumption and the effect of reducing UPF intake by 10%, 20%, and 50% in these age groups.
In all age groups and gender tiers, UPF consumption in Brazil ranged from 13% to 21% of total food intake during the study period. In 2019, a total of 541,260 adults aged 30 to 69 died prematurely, of which 261,061 died from preventable non-communicable diseases. The model found that approximately 57,000 deaths in that year could be attributed to UPF consumption, which is equivalent to 10.5% of all premature deaths and 21.8% of all deaths from preventable non-communicable diseases among adults aged 30 to 69. Investigators suggest that UPF accounts for more than half of total calorie intake in high-income countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, and the impact is estimated to be greater.
Dr. Nilson noted that in Brazil, UPF has steadily replaced traditional whole food consumption such as rice and beans over time. Reducing UPF consumption and promoting healthier food choices may require a variety of interventions and public health measures such as fiscal and regulatory policies, changing the food environment, enhancing the implementation of food-based dietary guidelines, and improving consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviors.
reduces UPF consumption by 10% to 50%, potentially preventing approximately 5900 to 29300 premature deaths in Brazil each year.
Examples of super processed foods are frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, hotdog , sausage, pre-packaged soup, soda , ice cream, and store-bought cookies, candies, donuts and cakes.
Dr. Nilson said: "UPF consumption is associated with the outcomes of many diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes , some cancers and other diseases, which represent an important cause of preventable and premature death among Brazilian adults. Even reducing UPF consumption to levels ten years ago will reduce the associated premature death by 21%. There is an urgent need to formulate policies to curb UPF consumption."
has a tool to estimate deaths caused by consumption of UPFs, which can help countries estimate the burden of dietary changes related to food industry processing and design more effective food policy options to promote healthier food environments. Examples of
UPF include pre-packaged soups, sauces, ready-to-eat meals, frozen pizza, soda, ice cream, hot dogs, sausages, as well as store-bought cookies, candies, cakes and donuts.
