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Blake, Wm. The First Book of Urizen, object 21. 1794.

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The world’s largest review of its kind reveals that ultra-processed foods (UPF) are linked to 32 health risks, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and early death. In the UK and the U.S., these foods now make up the majority of average diets.

UPFs include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, and ready-to-eat or ready meals. Academics from Brazil said they were “often chemically manipulated cheap ingredients” and “made palatable and attractive by using combinations of flavors, colors, emulsifiers, thickeners and other additives.”

For some, especially people who are younger, poorer, or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPF is typical.

Researchers: “These findings provide a rationale to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of using population-based and public-health measures to target and reduce dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods for improved human health.”