Which food additives are the worst — and most likely to shorten your life

What’s been added to your food could be subtracting from your life.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — which often contain high levels of sodium, refined sugars, cholesterol-spiking fats and other lab-based ingredients — are believed to make up over 70% of the US food supply.

A recent study linked exposure to UPFs to 32 poor health outcomes, including a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and even premature death.

Now, a novel study out of Germany has identified the types of food additives in UPFs that can fuel the risk of early death.

Published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, the study had nearly 187,000 people between 40 and 75 years old keep a food log. Participants were 58 years old on average, and 57% were female.

Of this group, UPFs accounted for an average of 20% of their total food intake.

During the 11-year follow-up period, about 10,200 deaths were recorded.

Five main types of UPF ingredients — flavor, flavor enhancers, coloring agents, sweeteners and varieties of sugar — showed strong ties to mortality risk.

Specifically, those additives were glutamate and ribonucleotides (flavor enhancers); acesulfame, saccharin and sucralose (sweeteners); caking agents, firming agents and thickeners (processing aids); and fructose, inverted sugar, lactose and maltodextrin (sugars).

Interestingly, gelling agents (which are considered processing aids) lowered the risk of premature death.

The researchers suggested that this may be because pectin is a beneficial fiber-based gelling agent that can help support digestion, manage cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

No associations were found with modified oils, protein sources or fiber.

“The results indicate that only some [UPF ingredients] are linked to all-cause mortality, whereas others have no association with this endpoint,” the researchers wrote in their findings.

“The findings provide an initial framework for identifying [additives] that should be prioritized in interventions targeting UPFs and for future mechanistic studies.”

Though concerns have been raised about UPF ingredients, the researchers believe theirs is the first study to explore ties between specific additives and the risk of premature death.

The researchers did acknowledge that their study relies on self-reported dietary data, and they’re calling for further research on the matter.