Favoring the consumption of ultra-processed foods may increase death toll from chronic respiratory diseases, such as lung cancer and COPD, in middle-aged and older adults.
This study explored the link between sticking to a high ultra-processed food diet and the probability of dying from a chronic respiratory disease, such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers matched the level of consumption of ultra-processed foods with the number of deaths from chronic respiratory diseases recorded in a study population comprising of 96,607 middle-aged and elderly men and women.
Researchers found out that strict adherence to a high ultra-processed food diet raised mortality risk from COPD and lung cancer by as much as 26% and 16% respectively. Evidence from this study indicate that indulgence in ultra-processed foods could up middle-aged and elderly individuals' chances of losing their lives to lung cancer and COPD.