Food additives such as flavors and sweeteners linked to increased mortality: study

A new major study has revealed that eating more ultra -treated foods (UPF) – in particular those with certain additives – is linked to higher mortality of any cause over 11 years of follow -up.

Published in the EclinicalMedicine journal, the researchers examined nearly 187,000 adults at the ages of the United Kingdom aged 40 to 75 using data collected from the British Biobank and followed their diet and their health for 11 years.

Participants filled several online food newspapers describing what they ate in a 24 -hour period. To determine the quantity of UPF and what additives (MUPS) really ate, the team equaled the foods reported to real supermarket products, checking ingredient labels for 57 potential MUPS markers, some of which are traditional additives.

Each food has been noted according to the probability of containing a given additive. Then, for each person, the researchers calculated the percentage of their total daily food intake from the UPF or specific additives.

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Researchers have examined hundreds of thousands of adults and followed their diet and health for 11 years. (istock)

Finally, the team compared these food models with the death files of the national health registers to see which additives and what part of them were linked to increased mortality during the study period.

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What additives were the most risky?

Five additive categories have shown significant ties with mortality from all causes of higher causes (compared to the least risk admission point at study):

• Flavors – Risk regularly when flavored foods have been more of the total diet
• Excessive flavors
• Coloring
• Sweeteners – no sugar – like aceulfame, saccharin and success
• Sugar varieties – In this category, fructose, inverted sugar, lactose, maltodextrin were linked to a higher risk

Five key additives have been identified and linked to increased mortality. (istock)

An exception was the geling agents, who were in fact linked to a lower risk of mortality. The study measured the percentage of the total weight supply in weight.

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When the diet of people was made up of more than 18% upfs, the risk of mortality began to increase. At 30% of the total contribution, the risk increased by 6%. The risk was 14% higher at 40% of the diet and 19% higher to 50% of the diet.

For flavors, the risk was approximately 20% higher when flavored foods represented 40% of their food contribution against 10%. Colors were associated with a risk of around 24% higher at 20% against 3%.

Sweeteners were linked to a risk approximately 14% higher to 20% compared to none.

Food data is based on 24 -hour auto -declaced reminders paired with product ingredient lists, which can introduce an error. (istock)

These estimates come from the models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, alcohol, exercise, income, etc.

Warnings

This is observational research, so it cannot prove that additives cause death earlier. People who eat more UPF can differ in other health behaviors that also influence the results, and food data are based on self -details of 24 hours paired with product ingredient lists, which can introduce errors.

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The results deal with the mortality of all causes rather than specific diseases, and although researchers have adjusted for many factors, residual confusion is always possible.

Experts recommend limiting the UPF intake as much as possible, the emphasis on the reduction is most important if you cannot cut it completely. (istock)

So what can people do about it? To keep an eye on UPF in your own life, health establishments like Mayo Clinic offer advice.

More in health news

“Although overconsumption of ultra -processed food has been linked to negative health results, this does not necessarily mean that all processed foods are bad for all people in all situations,” said Tara Schmidt, Mr. Ed., RDN, Diet of Mayo Clinic Diet, on the clinical website.

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“Reducing the consumption of something you eat daily in large part will have more impact on health than eliminating something that you rarely consume,” suggests Schmidt.

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The American Heart Association recommends limiting the contribution of ultra-treble foods and rather focus on a diet rich in “vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy unopenial oils and lean proteins”.