Research
Mixed
High consumption of ultra-processed foods (defined as >4 servings daily) is independently associated with a 62% increased hazard of all-cause mortality compared to low consumption.
To lower your risk of early death, limit ultra-processed foods to less than 4 servings per day. Focus on reducing items like sugary drinks, processed meats, and packaged snacks, as these contribute most to the risk. Prioritize whole or minimally processed foods.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (>4 servings daily) was independently associated with a 62% relatively increased hazard for all cause mortality.
Why this rating
Prospective cohort study with large sample size and extensive adjustment, but observational design prevents causal proof.
Source
Association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and all cause mortality: SUN prospective cohort study
Anaïs Rico-Campà et al. · BMJ · 2019
DOI 10.1136/bmj.l1949
cohort · n=19899Cited 533×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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