Analyzing data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, U.K., and U.S.), researchers found that each 10% rise in UPFs’ proportion of total caloric intake raised all-cause mortality risk by 3%. In countries with the highest UPF consumption—like the U.S.—up to 14% of premature deaths are attributable to UPFs, according to the study. For instance, researchers found that in 2018, 124,000 premature deaths in the U.S. were due to the consumption of UPFs.
In that study, researchers found that participants whose diets contained the highest proportion of UPFs had a 4% higher risk of all-cause mortality, as well as an 8% higher risk of mortality from neurodegenerative diseases, compared to those who ate the least ultra-processed food.
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