For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as a proportion of your diet, your risk of premature death rises by about 3 percent, according to a comprehensive new study that has health officials across eight nations—including the United States, Canada, and the UK—calling for immediate policy interventions.
The research, recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, highlights the need for global action to reduce the intake of UPFs—industrially produced items that are ready to eat or heat, contain little or no whole foods, and currently make up over 50 percent of the average American’s diet.
