Maira Bes-Rastrollo

A pilot trial assessed the feasibility and acceptability of reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the diets of patients with major depressive disorder. The study, which involved twenty participants from the United States, has been published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry and shows that scores for depression and anxiety were lower during the period of reduced consumption of ultra-processed foods than during the period of their usual diet. According to the authors, this is an exploratory study – in the form of a Research Letter – and, “at best, it generates hypotheses”.

Consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with an increased likelihood of having prodromal signs of Parkinson's disease - symptoms that precede the disease - says a study published in Neurology. The analysis is based on data from more than 42,000 healthcare professionals in the US, followed for up to 26 years.

Consuming certain mixtures of common food additives is linked to a slightly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of data from more than 108,000 adults in France. The study, published in PLoS Medicine, identified five mixtures of additives frequently used in ultra-processed foods and concluded that two of them are associated with the disease: the first mixture consisted mainly of emulsifiers, preservatives and a colouring agent, and the second of acidifiers, acidity regulators, colouring agents, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers.

People who take multivitamins daily do not have a lower risk of mortality than people who do not use these products, according to a meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open. The study pooled data from more than 390,000 people, followed for about 20 years in three different cohorts in the United States.  

People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a "slightly higher" mortality rate, according to an analysis published in The BMJ. The study analysed data from more than 110,000 people followed up for over 30 years in the United States. The correlation between ultra-processed food intake and all-cause mortality was strongest for the meat, poultry and seafood group. 

Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to a higher risk of health problems, according to an umbrella review of 45 previous meta-analyses, involving almost 10 million people in total. The research, published in The BMJ, finds direct associations between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters. The strongest evidence links this exposure to cardiometabolic health problems, mental disorders and overall mortality.