Consuming ultra-processed foods raises risk of hearts attacks and strokes according to two new studies

New research by two landmark studies has concluded that including ultra-processed foods in your diet drastically increases your risk of serious health issues with campaigners calling for action on the issue.

The consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) such as ready meals, fizzy juice, cereals, and fast food has been linked to the development of conditions such as high blood pressure and can raise the risk of heart attacks and stokes. On average, UPF makes up around 57% of the UK's diet, the worst rate in Europe, with millions at risk of developing health issues and campaigners comparing UPF's impact on health to that of cigarettes.

The first study, conducted by experts in Australia, examined the diet of 10,000 women over 15 years. From their research, experts found that those with the highest amount of UPF in their diet were 39% more likely to develop high blood pressure, with high blood pressure then putting them at risk of conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and vascular dementia.

The second study tracked more than 325,000 men and women and concluded that those with the highest amounts of UPF in their diets were 24% more likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes or angina. Experts at the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an, China also found that those with less than 15% of UPF in their diet were at the lowest risk of developing conditions or issues of the heart.

The Chinese study also found that only increasing the proportion of UPF in a person's daily calorie intake by only 10% increased the risk of heart disease by 6%.

The findings of the studies were presented at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in Amsterdam, with the world's leading heart specialists in attendance. Anushriya Pant, a researcher behind the Australian study at the University of Sydney, told reporters at the conference that one of the issues is that people are often unaware that the items they are buying have been highly processed, with seemingly healthy items such as shop-bought wraps, low-fat yoghurts and pre-packaged soups all being called as ultra-processed foods.

Ms Pant said: "Compared to minimally processed foods, ultra-processed foods tend to be lower in fibre, high in salt and sugars, and all these factors are known to be anti-cardioprotective. The more you process food, the fewer nutrients you retain.

"For example, a lot of foods in the health aisle in the supermarket that are advertised as 'healthy' because they are low in calories, when we look at the sodium [salt] content, it's too high. We know that high salt equals hypertension. It could be that foods you think are healthy are actually contributing to you developing high blood pressure."

Dr Chris van Tulleken, a leading expert of UPF and author of the bestselling book Ultra Processed People, called for the government to implement urgent change to food packaging to warn people that the item they've picked up off the shelf has been highly processed.

In response to the research, he said: “Much of it will be familiar as ‘junk food’, but there’s plenty of organic, free-range, ‘ethical’ UPF which might be sold as healthy, nutritious, environmentally friendly or useful for weight loss. Almost every food that comes with a health claim on the packet is UPF."

He continued: “There is now significant evidence that these products inflame the gut, disrupt appetite regulation, alter hormone levels and cause myriad other effects which likely increase the risk of cardiovascular and other disease much in the same way that smoking does.”

Speaking to the Guardian, food campaigner Henry Dimbleby said: "Given that UPF represents 55% of our diet, that should be a wake-up call. If there is something inherent in the processing of foods that is harmful, then that is a disaster.

“Britain is particularly bad for ultra-processed food. It is storing up problems for the future. If we do nothing, a tidal wave of harm is going to hit the NHS.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We have introduced legislation to restrict the placement and promotion of certain products in supermarkets to discourage unhealthy food choices."