Thousands of people could avoid dying of heart disease by reducing ultra-processed foods (UPFs), experts have said, as a modelling study suggests junk food may be driving up to a third of cases.
Millions of people increasingly consume UPFs such as ready meals, breakfast cereals, protein bars, fizzy drinks and fast food.
In the UK and US, more than half the average diet now consists of UPFs. For some, especially people who are younger, or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPFs is typical.
Previous research has linked UPFs to serious harm in every major organ system of the human body.
Now a study suggests that between 23% and 37% of heart disease cases, and between 23% and 38% of heart disease deaths, could be attributable to UPF consumption.
The findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and presented at the annual International Congress on Obesity, hosted by the World Obesity Federation in Mexico.
The study, led by Virginie Hamel and Jean-Claude Moubarac from the Center for Public Health Research at Montreal University, focused on Canada. It estimated that thousands of deaths could be prevented across the country if the population cut its consumption of UPFs.
But while actual estimates may vary slightly, the researchers said similar results could be expected in other high-income countries.
UPFs may account for “a substantial and potentially preventable” contributor to heart disease, the researchers said. “These findings reinforce the need for clinical and public health interventions aimed at reducing UPF intake as a key component of cardiovascular disease prevention.”
They said that UPFs dominated the food environment in Canada, making excessive consumption a widespread and largely involuntary phenomenon.
“While public education and individual counselling remain important components of health promotion, their impact is limited without broader environmental and policy support. To drive meaningful change in dietary patterns, comprehensive structural measures are essential.
“These include regulations on food taxes, front-of-package labelling, marketing restrictions and reformulation targets aimed at improving food quality.”
However, some experts not involved with the study said there were several limitations to the results, and further research was required to prove UPFs increase the risk of heart disease.
Prof Kevin McConway, an emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said: “This is an interesting attempt at modelling potential health effects of UPF consumption in one country (Canada) – but I really wouldn’t want to put much trust in the detailed estimates it presents.”
