Research

Mixed

An increase in the proportion of ultraprocessed foods in the diet is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in middle-aged adults.

To lower your risk of early death, try to reduce the percentage of your diet that comes from ultraprocessed foods (like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and ready meals). Even a small reduction in these items can have a measurable positive impact on your longevity.

GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
After adjustment for a range of confounding factors, an increase in the proportion of ultraprocessed foods consumed was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR per 10% increment, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04-1.27; P = .008).
Laure Schnabel et al. · JAMA Internal Medicine · 2019

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort (n=44,551) with long follow-up and rigorous adjustment, but observational design prevents causal inference.

Source

Association Between Ultraprocessed Food Consumption and Risk of Mortality Among Middle-aged Adults in France

Laure Schnabel et al. · JAMA Internal Medicine · 2019

DOI 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.7289

cohort · n=44551Cited 386×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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