The findings raise concerns about young Britons who rely more and more on manufactured food products
Ultra-processed foods may be responsible for roughly one-quarter of all heart disease cases and fatalities, according to newly published research.
The findings, which appeared in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and were presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico, indicate that reducing consumption of these products could lead to fewer deaths.
UPFs encompass a broad range of everyday items including ice cream, crisps, white bread, processed meats like ham, and carbonated beverages.
Scientists have long associated such foods with adverse health outcomes, though considerable debate persists regarding how much industrial processing itself contributes to the problem versus the high levels of fat, sugar and salt these products typically contain.
British consumers derive an average of 56 per cent of their daily calories from ultra-processed products, a figure that climbs dramatically to 68 per cent among the nation's teenagers.
These consumption levels place the United Kingdom significantly ahead of comparable European nations, with countries such as France and Italy recording far lower rates of UPF intake.
The disparity raises particular concerns about dietary habits among young Britons, who appear increasingly reliant on industrially manufactured food products.
Such items frequently contain additives rarely found in home-cooked meals, including preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial colourings and flavourings that are absent from traditional cooking.
The research, conducted by experts including those from the University of Montreal, analysed Canadian patient data and concluded that between 23 and 38 per cent of cardiovascular events in 2019 could be attributed to UPF consumption.
This translated to between 58,200 and 96,000 new heart disease cases, alongside 10,600 to 17,400 related deaths.
The study authors suggested that cutting UPF intake by 20 to 50 per cent might have prevented up to 45,900 new cases and 8,300 deaths.
The researchers concluded: "These findings reinforce the need for clinical and public health interventions aimed at reducing UPF intake as a key component of cardiovascular disease prevention."
They called for comprehensive measures including food taxes, front-of-package labelling requirements, and marketing restrictions.
However, some experts have cast doubt on the study's conclusions, highlighting significant methodological concerns.
Professor Alberto Fiore, from Abertay University in Dundee, described the research as having "severe limitations," noting: "This is a modelling study, not a clinical trial it does not measure what actually happened to people who ate more or fewer ultra-processed foods."
He pointed out that the findings relied on "a 2015 dietary snapshot" and presented "a very wide uncertainty range for a number being put in front of the public."
Professor Fiore questioned whether the research genuinely captured the effects of industrial processing or merely documented "the well-known harms of a poor diet that happens to come in a packet."
