Ultraprocessed Foods Are Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Mortality

Ultraprocessed foods — industrial formulations with minimal whole-food content that often contain additives and processing byproducts — account for >50% of the calories consumed in the U.S. These foods have been associated with adverse health effects in cohort studies.

In a population-based study from Italy, detailed baseline food-frequency questionnaires were used to assess the diets of 23,000 adults. At a mean follow-up of 12 years, diets in the highest quintile for poor nutrient quality and for ultraprocessed food content were associated individually with significantly higher all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.2 for both) and cardiovascular-related mortality (AHRs, 1.3 for both) compared with the lowest-quintile diets. In anal…