Esther López-García
Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Autonomous University of Madrid, President of the Nutrition and Obesity Study Observatory (NAOS), and member of the Nutrition Group of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology
In this article, researchers have summarised all the information that has been published on the long-term effect of consuming ultra-processed foods. Specifically, they have identified up to 45 articles, which summarised the published results on the association between regular consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing different diseases. The BMJ article indicates that there is very strong evidence that consumption of these foods increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mental health problems. There is also quite strong evidence that consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risk of developing obesity, sleep disturbance and premature death.
This paper provides a very detailed picture of the impact of ultra-processed products on health, with the best scientific evidence that can be used to answer this research question: epidemiological studies in diverse populations in which participants have been repeatedly measured on their usual diet and followed to see who gets sick and who stays healthy. With the evidence that already exists, it is possible to make recommendations to the population to limit their consumption (in this sense, the 2023 Dietary Guidelines for the Spanish population already contemplate this warning) and to legislate to discourage the population from consuming these foods (taxes, warning labels or control of the advertising of these foods).