{"id":107357,"date":"2025-09-01T17:34:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T17:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/107357\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T17:34:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T17:34:05","slug":"longevity-experts-reveal-the-common-food-additives-which-are-worst-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/107357\/","title":{"rendered":"Longevity experts reveal the common food additives which are WORST for your health"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ELEN JOHNSTON, HEALTH REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 16:22 BST, 1 September 2025 | Updated: 16:22 BST, 1 September 2025 <\/p>\n

A major study has pinpointed the additives in ultra-processed food that put you most at risk of an early death.<\/p>\n

It’s long been understood that ultra-processed food can lead to all sorts of life-shortening conditions.<\/p>\n

German researchers<\/a> who looked at data of over 180,000 participants broke down the worst food additives into five categories.<\/p>\n

This included flavouring, flavour enhancers, colour agents, sweeteners and varieties of sugars\u2014which are all found in ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n

But they went further to identify 12 specific markers of ultra-processed (MUPs) foods that were found to significantly increase risk of death.<\/p>\n

These included the flavour enhancers glutamate and ribonucleotides, as well as the sweeteners acesulfame, saccharin and sucralose.<\/p>\n

It also included processing aids like caking agents, firming agents, gelling agents and thickeners as well as the sugars fructose, inverted sugar, lactose and maltodextrin.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, gelling agents like gelatine was significantly linked to mortality but inversely\u2014lowering risk of death.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A major study has identified the additives in ultraprocessed food most linked to an early death<\/p>\n

They also found modified oil, protein source, and fibre had no significant association with risk of death.<\/p>\n

In the journal eClinicalMedicine, they wrote: ‘To the best of our knowledge, no prior study has assessed associations of such a broad range of MUP categories and specific MUPs with all-cause mortality.’<\/p>\n

The researchers used data from the UK Bio-bank, which tracked adults between 2006 and 2010.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The average age of participants was 57, and 57 percent of the cohort were female and 43 per cent male.<\/p>\n

They found on average a fifth of participants’ food intake was made up of UPF\u2014food that contains more than one ingredient you rarely find in a domestic kitchen.<\/p>\n

When they followed up with them after 11 years, the found 10,203 participants had since died.<\/p>\n

Their analysis revealed that as UPF intake rose above 18 per cent, the risk of dying increased.<\/p>\n

However, the authors cautioned that consumption data in the study was self-reported and not independently verified.<\/p>\n

\"These <\/p>\n

These ultra-processed food markers can often be found in breads, biscuits, crisps and cakes<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, previous studies have linked UPFs to obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and an early death.<\/p>\n

And just last month, research eating too many UPFs could be stopping you from losing weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

British scientists who tracked dozens of adults found those who avoided UPFs, lost twice as much weight as those who often consumed them.<\/p>\n

Sticking to meals cooked from scratch could also help curb food cravings, but UPFs had little impact on blood pressure, heart rate, liver function and cholesterol.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They argued their findings echoed calls to limit certain types of UPFs but cautioned it also showed not all UPFs are ‘inherently unhealthy’.<\/p>\n

Dr Samuel Dicken, from University College London, study co-author, said: ‘We saw significantly greater weight loss on the minimally processed food diet.’<\/p>\n

WHAT ARE ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ultra-processed foods are high in added fat, sugar and salt, low in protein and fibre and contain artificial colourings, sweeteners and preservatives.<\/p>\n

The term covers food that contains ingredients that a person wouldn’t add when cooking at home \u2014 such as chemicals, colourings and preservatives.<\/p>\n

Ready meals, ice cream, sausages, deep-fried chicken and ketchup are some of the best-loved examples.<\/p>\n

They are different to processed foods, which are processed to make them last longer or enhance their taste, such as cured meat, cheese and fresh bread.<\/p>\n

Ultra-processed foods, such as sausages, cereals, biscuits and fizzy drinks, are formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives.<\/p>\n

They contain little or no unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as fruit, vegetables, seeds and eggs.<\/p>\n

The foods are usually packed with sugars, oils, fats and salt, as well as\u00a0 additives, such as preservatives, antioxidants and stabilisers.<\/p>\n

Ultra-processed foods are often presented as ready-to-consume, taste good and are cheap.<\/p>\n

Source: Open Food Facts<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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