Eat fewer ultra-processed foods (chips, instant noodles, pastries, ready meals)

There’s no direct monetary cost, but you’ll need to spend time cooking or selecting minimally processed ingredients every day. The real challenge is overcoming the long-standing habit of choosing convenience over health.

One systematic review combined data from multiple studies, even though those original studies did not group participants by ultra-processed food intake. The results showed that people eating more ultra-processed foods had a 21% higher risk of death (RR 1.21) and a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular death (RR 1.50) compared to those eating less. These findings are classified as “highly suggestive” and “convincing” respectively. Yet when assessed using the standard GRADE criteria, the overall certainty of this evidence is low or very low.

Lane MM 等 (2024). Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310

The controversy lies in three points. This classification (NOVA) groups foods with very different nutritional profiles into a single category. It overlaps heavily with sugary drinks and processed meats (Articles 7 and 18), making it impossible to distinguish which specific item is at work. According to the widely used Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method, the level of evidence is also low. Therefore, after following those two articles, it is uncertain how much additional benefit this specific article can provide. The opposing side's evidence is the low rating itself provided by the same review, and currently, no primary studies have reached a contrary conclusion. Therefore, first implement Articles 7 and 18 (do not drink sugary drinks, eat less processed meat), and then see about this article.