Deakin University research shows cancer, diabetes and depression linked to ultra-processed foods

Eating ultra-processed foods can put you at an increased risk of 32 different health problems including cancer, type 2 diabetes and mental health issues, a review suggests.

Diets which include high amounts of ready meals, sugary cereals and mass-produced bread are often high in fat, salt and sugar, and low in vitamins and fibre.

In the biggest analysis to date involving ten million people, researchers from Deakin University found “convincing” evidence that higher intake was linked to a 50 per cent greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease, 12 per cent for type 2 diabetes and 48-53 per cent of developing anxiety.

There was “highly suggestive” evidence when it came to obesity, sleep problems and dying from heart disease, which all showed between a 40 to 66 per cent heightened risk.

Researchers also suggest a 22 per cent greater risk of developing depression and a 21 per cent greater risk of death from any cause, according to findings published in the BMJ.

Likening ultra-processed foods to tobacco, they said “public policies and actions are essential” to curb intake and called on officials to urgently develop guidelines.

They suggest foods should be clearly labeled, restrictions should be placed on advertising and sales “prohibited in or near schools and hospitals”.

Containing colours, emulsifiers, flavours and other additives, ultra-processed foods typically undergo multiple industrial processes which research has found degrades the physical structure of foods, making it easier to digest and faster to absorb.

This in turn increases blood sugar and damages the microbiome – the community of “friendly” bacteria that live inside us and which we depend on for good health.

Food additives such as nonnutritive sweeteners, modified starches, gums and emulsifiers also seem to affect the microbiome, levels of gut inflammation and metabolic responses to food which may also increase the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “What we eat is determined by the food that is available to us, and that food is often high in salt, saturated fats, sugars, low in nutrients and heavily processed.

“Policymakers should, with a sense of urgency, help shift the nation towards nutritious food that supports our health, rather than harms it.”

However, other scientists have said there were limitations to the review conducted by academics who analysed 14 articles published in the last three years – including inconsistent data collection methods in the original research.

Responding to the review, Gunter Kuhnle, professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Reading, said: “Many studies also show that people who consume a lot of ultra-processed foods also have an unhealthy lifestyle and therefore a higher risk of disease.

“Although many studies attempt to adjust for this, it is virtually impossible to do so completely.”