The more you eat of these popular foods, the greater your risk of serious illness and even death, new report says

In: Health

There’s now even more evidence that eating ultraprocessed foods is bad for your health.

A diet that has more cookies, chips, cakes, pizza, hot dogs and other salty and sweet goods – such as candy-filled grilled cheese sandwiches – can greatly raise your risk of chronic illness, a new analysis of more than 50 studies, including nearly 9 million adults, reveals.

An ultra-processed-heavy diet increased the risk of cardiovascular events, diabetes and obesity by nearly a quarter. It also raised the risk of depression and anxiety by 27 percent and suffering a digestive disease by 31 percent.

And every extra 100 grams of these foods a day elevated the risk of developing cancer by 4 percent, and the risk of death by any cause by 3 percent.

“In our modern society, our diet and food is maybe not safe … we should eat more vegetables and reduce the ultra-processed food to make us healthier,” Dr. Xiao Liu, lead author of the study and a physician at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, told ABC News on Tuesday.

Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez eats a deep-fried Oreo cookie at the Iowa State Fair in 2023. A more ultraprocessed diet raises the risk of chronic illness and death, a new analysis of dozens of studies reveals
Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez eats a deep-fried Oreo cookie at the Iowa State Fair in 2023. A more ultraprocessed diet raises the risk of chronic illness and death, a new analysis of dozens of studies reveals (Getty Images)

The researchers also noted that emerging evidence suggests combining additives in ultraprocessed foods could have a “cocktail effect” on human health, combining to create a stronger, toxic impact.

Past studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods affect the gut, promote inflammation tied to cancer and insulin resistance that leads to diabetes, the researchers said.

In addition, compounds that may form during food processing have been associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, they added.

How often people ate these foods was recorded in journals and questionnaires, though the researchers note that means their assessment relies on subjective information.

Some 60 percent of the American diet is ultraprocessed, including foods such as pizza and cookies
Some 60 percent of the American diet is ultraprocessed, including foods such as pizza and cookies (Getty/iStock)

Some 60 percent of the American diet is ultraprocessed, Stanford Medicine says, with ultraprocessed foods often cheaper to buy than healthier options.

Ultraprocessed foods are made with sodium, added sugars and refined grains, as well as industrial ingredients that enhance taste and texture.

However, not all ultraprocessed foods are considered junk foods. For example, yogurt and hummus are better options.

Still, June research from Tufts University has revealed that people who ate more ultraprocessed foods had worse health outcomes — even after accounting for the overall nutritional quality of the foods.

“The findings suggest ultra-processed-food factors beyond nutrients – such as changes to foods’ cellular structure, loss of beneficial chemical compounds, additives and chemicals from packaging – may create health risks not addressed by traditional nutrition metrics or policies,” that study’s senior author, cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the university’s Food is Medicine Institute, said in a statement.