'Ultraprocessed' Foods Can Increase Your Risk of
Early Death Quick and easy comfort foods could be putting your health
in danger. A French study revealed there is a 14% higher risk of early death with each 10% increase in the amount of ultraprocessed foods consumed. The study defines ultraprocessed as "manufactured industrially from multiple ingredients that usually include additives used for technological and/or cosmetic purposes." These include snacks, lunchmeats and
ready-to-eat meals. The study followed 44,551 French adults 45 and older for two years. The subjects submitted 24-hour dietary records every six months and filled out questionnaires about their health. Over the course of the study, 602 participants died. The research confirmed that there was a direct correlation between amount of processed food consumed and early death. Despite this, some scholars remain unconvinced. Nurgul Fitzgerald, Associate professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers