They’re cheap, convenient, and engineered to taste oddly delicious—but new research suggests that eating a diet high in ultra-processed food could quietly increase your risk of dying years earlier than expected.
A massive international study published this week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed data from more than 240,000 adults across eight countries and found a clear link between diets high in ultra-processed foods and premature death. Specifically, the researchers estimated that in the U.S., up to 14% of all early deaths—defined as dying between ages 30 and 69—could be attributed to these types of foods.
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“The findings support that ultra-processed food intake contributes significantly to the overall burden of disease in many countries,” the researchers wrote, adding that reducing these foods should be part of public health policy.
This Diet Habit Could Be Slowly Killing You
That might sound dramatic, but it tracks with what nutrition experts have been saying for years. Ultra-processed foods—packaged items loaded with additives, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, and preservatives—make up about 70% of the modern food supply. That includes chips, sodas, frozen meals, sugary cereals, protein bars, and even many items that look healthy on the surface.
“These are foods that definitely don’t exist in nature by themselves,” said dietitian Scott Keatley, R.D., explaining that they’re built for shelf life and addictive flavor, not nutrition.
Beyond the lack of vitamins or fiber, ultra-processed foods tend to crowd out whole foods that actually support health. According to Keatley, this dietary shift raises the risk of chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, visceral fat buildup, and DNA damage—factors that are all linked to heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. “Over time, the cumulative damage can shave years off a lifespan,” he said, “especially in people who are already metabolically vulnerable.”
That doesn’t mean you have to live on kale and salmon forever. Dietitian Jessica Cording, R.D., recommends a balanced 85/15 approach. This means eating mostly whole foods, while still leaving room for occasional processed options. “It’s not inherently that the foods are a one-way ticket to early death,” she said. “But it’s more like there are things that happen because of them.”
Even within the ultra-processed category, some choices are better than others. A fortified plant milk or a low-sugar protein bar is miles better than a sleeve of frosted pastries. But nutritionists agree: chips, soda, and frozen desserts shouldn’t be your dietary main characters.
Because what you eat most often—not occasionally—is what ends up shaping your long-term health.
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