The most dangerous food additives for health and longevity are named

The results were alarming: flavorings, flavor enhancers, artificial colors, sweeteners, and certain types of sugars are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Flavorings stood out especially — they were found in products most often and turned out to be one of the main “culprits”.

We are talking about the so-called UPF (ultra—processed foods) – products that have undergone serious industrial processing. These are all the usual semi-finished products, soda, sweets, ready-made snacks and much more. Convenient, tasty, but low in nutrients and generously seasoned with cosmetic additives such as sweeteners, flavors and dyes.

Today, in the UK and the USA, such products make up more than half of the daily diet, whereas, for example, in Italy — only about 10%. And it is precisely with the increase in their consumption that scientists attribute the surge in obesity and related diseases.

Not all additives are equally dangerous. For example, gelling agents (including pectin, which is found in apples) showed the opposite effect — they were even associated with a lower risk of death. That is, among dozens of additives, there are both potentially harmful and relatively harmless, and perhaps even useful.

More than 10,000 participants died during the follow-up. And the more a person consumed foods with “risky” additives, the higher the chance of an unfavorable outcome. Even after adjusting for age, lifestyle, income level, and other factors, the relationship persisted.

If you want to reduce the risks, you should carefully read the labels and, if possible, reduce foods with an unreasonably long composition in the diet, especially those with flavors, colors and sweeteners. But pectin in jam or jelly desserts is not worth being afraid of — it can even be useful.