A groundbreaking UK Biobank study, recently published in The Lancet eClinicalMedicine, casts new light on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the role of additives in long-term health.
While it’s well-known that a diet rich in UPFs can be harmful, this study zooms in to ask, which additives actually drive the risks.
Researchers tracked nearly 187,000 UK adults for over 11 years, analysing how much of their diet came from UPFs and examining 37 types of food additives (called “markers of ultra-processing” or MUPs).
They wanted to know whether specific additives were behind the increased risk of death linked to processed food intake—and not just processed food in general.
Key Facts🙌
👺Flavours, sweeteners, and colourings stand out The biggest sources of increased risk are foods high in artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, sweeteners, colouring agents, and varieties of sugar.
💜It’s not all harmful Some additives, like gelling agents (especially pectin), were linked to a lower risk of death, highlighting how not all processing aids carry the same risk.
🤪UPFs are everywhere The average participant got 20% of their calories from UPFs, with flavour additives alone showing up in 13.6% of total intake.
Additives matter 🙏
Total intake of harmful additives predicted mortality risk better than just UPF consumption itself. The more different types of additives consumed, the higher the risk.
Takeaway for Your Shopping Basket🙌
If you’re scanning ingredient lists, look out for added flavourings, colourings, and sweeteners—they could be contributing to higher health risks. And remember, not all processed foods pose the same threat: some processing aids, like plant-based fibres, may even be beneficial.
This study points to the future of research in nutrition—a deeper understanding of how what we eat, down to the ingredient label, shapes not just our waistlines, but our lifespans.
