• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Experts issue warning as common foods potentially linked to more deaths a year than fentanyl

Home> News> Health

Updated 22:15 30 Apr 2025 GMT+1Published 21:04 30 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Experts issue warning as common foods potentially linked to more deaths a year than fentanyl

A study looked into the impact the common food group had on mortality

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

Experts have issued a warning that foods which make up around 70 percent of the US food supply could possibly be linked to more deaths a year than fentanyl.

With summer just around the corner, many are likely thinking about getting into shape before jetting off somewhere hot.

But it's of course advised to eat a balanced diet all year round, and a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine is a perfect indication of that.

Advert

Ultra-processed foods are 'becoming dominant in the global food supply' according to the study, which is certainly not a good thing for our health.

A study looked into the impact ultra-processed foods had on mortality (Getty Stock Image)
A study looked into the impact ultra-processed foods had on mortality (Getty Stock Image)

The research - which involved more than 240,000 people from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the UK, and the US) - suggested that those who eat more ultra-processed foods in their diet could be at greater risk of a premature death.

Carlos Augusto Monteiro, a co-author on the study and emeritus professor of nutrition and public health at the University of São Paulo, told CNN: "We looked at the risk of a person dying from eating more ultra-processed foods between the ages of 30 and 69, a time when it would be premature to die."

Advert

In a 2024 editorial journal, the professor co-wrote: "No reason exists to believe that humans can fully adapt to these products. The body may react to them as useless or harmful, so its systems may become impaired or damaged, depending on their vulnerability and the amount of ultra-processed food consumed."

Monteiro states that ultra-processed foods contain little to no whole food and instead use 'synthetic additives to make them edible, palatable and habit-forming'.

The team of researchers found that the risk of early death rises by close to three percent for every ten percent increase in calories from ultra-processed foods.

Though it's worth noting that the research cannot definitively prove that these foods caused any premature deaths as other factors, such as lifestyle and exercise, can also come into play.

Advert

The expert said ultra-processed foods contain 'synthetic additives to make them edible, palatable and habit-forming' (Getty Stock Image)
The expert said ultra-processed foods contain 'synthetic additives to make them edible, palatable and habit-forming' (Getty Stock Image)

Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro and lead investigator of the new study, estimated that 124,000 premature US deaths were linked to excessive ultra-processed food use in 2018.

And to put that into context, just under 74,000 people died in the US from a fentanyl overdose in 2022, the New York Post reports.

While the new study included a huge sample size, food industry expert Sarah Gallo has voiced her concerns about the findings.

Advert

Speaking to CNN, Gallo said: "Demonizing convenient, affordable and shelf ready food and beverage products could limit access to and cause avoidance of nutrient dense foods resulting in decreased diet quality, increased risk of food-borne illness and exacerbated health disparities."

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image

Topics: Health, Food and Drink

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Experts issue urgent warning against popular new tanning 'drug' that could cause brain swelling and cancer

    The viral trend promises to give users a natural glowing tan

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Horrifying details emerge after plane carrying 200 passengers flies with no pilot after first officer collapsed

    The plane was diverted and thankfully all 200 passengers onboard landed safely.

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Family win $100,000 in settlement after being accused of not paying $200 bill

    Peter and Ann McGirr were slammed in a Facebook post which falsely claimed they hadn't paid their bill

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Chilling story of man who told family he was leaving with aliens and hasn't been seen since

    What happened to Granger Taylor has remained a mystery for 45 years

    News
  • Doctors send urgent warning that popular choice of food is now linked to Parkinson's disease
  • Experts find Alzheimer's disease could be linked to common virus that over 3,800,000,000 people have
  • Several common foods should never be reheated due to health risks, experts warn
  • 8-year-old boy reportedly goes permanently blind after eating common foods as doctor issues warning