The consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with 57,000 premature deaths in 2019 in Brazil, according to new Brazilian research.
This represents 10 (10.5%) of all preventable deaths that year, by data computed from DataSUS
The research was conducted by the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health at the University of São Paulo and researchers from the University of Public Health and Medicine at USP and the University of Santiago (Chile).
In the study, the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and premature deaths was calculated for all causes, considering the estimate of the Brazilian population.
Premature deaths are those occurring between 30 and 69 years of age when there is no relevant occurrence of deaths from diseases considered to be of childhood and adolescence (such as infectious diseases) or associated with old age (which reduces life expectancy).
They also include those caused by the so-called NCDs (non-communicable diseases), whose occurrence is higher in places with low access to basic health indicators, such as adequate food and physical activity.
Translated by Cassy Dias