People who gorge on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are far more likely to die at a younger age.
Ultra-processed foods such as ice cream raise the risk of an early death
Boffins from the National Cancer Institute in the US found that older adults - between the ages of 50 and 71 - who consumed a greater amount of UPFs were 10 per cent more likely to pass away in the average follow-up period of 23 years compared with those who ate less.
The research drew data from over 540,000 people who provided information about their eating habits and health when they were aged between 50 and 71 during the mid-1990s. Over half of the participants have since passed away.
Dr. Erikka Loftfield, of the National Cancer Institute, said: "Our study results indicate that ultra-processed food intake adversely impacts health and longevity.
"Highly processed meat and soft drinks were a couple of the subgroups of ultra-processed food most strongly associated with mortality risk."
She added: "However, there is still a lot that we don't know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods pose potential health risks."