UK Food Study Links UPFs to 18,000 Deaths a Year

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Red wood ants produce formic acid from their venom gland at the rear of their abdomen, creating defense systems that shield forest ecosystems.

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These factory-made foods make up a whopping 53.4% of the average English diet's energy intake, just behind America's 54.5% consumption rate.

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Every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption raises your risk of death from all causes by 3%, researchers warn.2

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Packaged snacks, breakfast cereals, mass-produced bread, and fizzy drinks all fall into the danger zone as ultra-processed foods packed with artificial additives

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Countries with UPF-heavy diets see alarming death rates – England at 13.8% and America at 13.7% of premature deaths tied to these convenient but questionable foods.

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Food industry pushes back, claiming the term "ultra-processed" unfairly tarnishes products like yogurt and pasta sauce that can be part of a balanced diet.

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Health experts suggest cooking from scratch, choosing fresh fruits over sweets, and reading food labels carefully to avoid the artificial ingredient trap.

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UK government has already banned junk food ads targeting children and is funding new research to better understand how these foods impact public health

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[{"selector":"#anim-e6b64924-a3f8-408c-8c0d-866d613e4488","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31247dea-5c71-4797-ab46-7086d0e1cb16","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-130a9f8b-d7b4-41dd-a124-59ca75a5a2c1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e822106c-44a4-4614-a665-372913379beb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd91298c-c5c3-4121-a216-184a8cc4c15b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Cough Cases Double to 8,077 in 2025 as CDC Raises Alert Learn more