Chicago, Ill. (WOWO) — Eating more ultra-processed food was associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and death in a major new analysis involving nearly 8.8 million adults. The study, published Sept. 22 in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health, examined da ta from 51 prospective studies involving 8,819,894 adults across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Researchers found that for every additional 100 grams of ultra-processed foods consumed per day — about 3½ ounces — participants had a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular events, a 4% higher risk of cancer, a 3% higher risk of death from any cause and a 2% higher risk of metabolic syndrome or diabetes. The analysis also found an association between an additional 100 grams of ultra-processed food per day and an 11% higher risk of high blood pressure. The studies included in the analysis followed participants for periods ranging from two to 32 years. Ultra-processed foods are generally packaged, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products that undergo extensive industrial processing and often contain additives. Examples include sugary drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks, candy and other convenience foods. For perspective, 100 grams is roughly equivalent to a small 3½-ounce bag of corn chips, a small box of candy or a single-serving package of mini cookies. Researchers also compared people with the highest and lowest levels of ultra-processed food consumption. Those with the highest intake had higher risks of cardiovascular events, cancer, obesity or overweight, metabolic syndrome or diabetes, depression or anxiety, digestive diseases, high blood pressure and death from any cause. The researchers reported that the highest level of ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 24% higher risk of cardiovascular events, a 12% higher risk of cancer, a 23% higher risk of obesity or overweight and a 24% higher risk of metabolic syndrome or diabetes. The highest-consumption group also had a 27% higher risk of depression or anxiety, a 31% higher risk of digestive diseases, an 11% higher risk of high blood pressure and an 18% higher risk of death from any cause. The research was led by Xiao Liu, a cardiologist at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital in China and a research fellow at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. The researchers wrote that because chronic diseases associated with ultra-processed food consumption can occur together, reducing those foods and replacing them with minimally processed alternatives could be relevant to chronic disease prevention and primary care. But the findings do not prove that ultra-processed foods directly cause the diseases or health problems identified in the analysis. The researchers noted limitations including the use of dietary assessments that relied on participants’ reports and the difficulty of accounting for every lifestyle and behavioral factor that could affect long-term health. The study was also observational, meaning researchers examined associations between reported food consumption and later health outcomes rather than assigning participants to specific diets. Kelly Springer, a New York-based registered dietitian who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital that the observational nature of the study is important when interpreting the results. “It’s not that you can never eat them again,” Springer said of ultra-processed foods. “It’s the fact that we are not getting real foods — real foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains.” Springer said ultra-processed foods can also take the place of more nutrient-dense foods in a person’s daily diet. Rather than focusing exclusively on eliminating foods, she recommended adding more protein and fiber to meals and snacks. Examples include pairing an apple with peanut butter, eating nuts with cucumbers, or building meals around beans, chicken or tuna along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. “A diet built around whole, minimally processed foods is one of the best investments we can make in our long-term health,” Springer said. The researchers also discussed several possible biological mechanisms that could contribute to the associations, including food additives, changes to the physical structure of foods during processing, effects on the gut microbiome, inflammation and insulin resistance. However, those potential mechanisms do not establish that ultra-processing itself is responsible for the health outcomes observed. The study also does not establish a specific amount of ultra-processed food that should be considered safe. Instead, the researchers found that health risks generally increased as consumption increased. The authors concluded that reducing ultra-processed food consumption and replacing those products with minimally processed foods may have a role in chronic disease prevention, while acknowledging that additional research is needed to better distinguish the effects of food processing from the nutritional content of the foods and other lifestyle factors. 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