A large pooled analysis found a modest but consistent link between ultra-processed food and earlier death
Published Mar 3, 2025
Methods
Researchers pooled 18 prospective cohort studies covering 1,148,387 participants and 173,107 deaths, comparing reported intake of ultra-processed foods (packaged, industrially formulated foods and drinks) against risk of death from any cause over each study's follow-up period.
Findings
People with the highest ultra-processed food intake had a 15% higher risk of death from any cause than those with the lowest intake. Each 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake was linked to roughly a 10% higher mortality risk.
Caveats & Context
This pools observational cohort studies, so it shows an association, not proof that ultra-processed food itself causes earlier death — people who eat more ultra-processed food often differ in other ways (activity levels, other health conditions, socioeconomic factors) that are hard to fully separate out. Studies also classified ultra-processed food somewhat differently from each other, which adds noise to the pooled estimate.
Ultra-processed foods and risk of all-cause mortality: an updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
Systematic Reviews · doi.org/10.1186/s13643-025-02800-8