Processed Meats
Research indicates there is no safe amount of processed meat, with even small everyday portions like one hot dog, deli meat, or bacon associated with higher rates of colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, and ischemic heart disease. Honestly, this is one of the most damaging foods you can put in your body. Even small amounts of processed meat have been associated with greater risk of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer than none. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified consumption of processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, the same classification as tobacco and asbestos.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Drinking the equivalent of about a 12-ounce soda per day has been associated with increased type 2 diabetes risk and ischemic heart disease risk. The problem is much bigger than calories alone. Sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat can increase inflammation, while sugary drinks provide a quick way to consume large amounts of sugar, causing weight gain and influencing metabolic pathways that affect heart disease and diabetes risk. Processed meat was the type of food most strongly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, with sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages, dairy-based desserts, and ultra-processed breakfast foods also showing associations with higher all-cause mortality.
Added Sugar
Let’s be real, sugar is everywhere in the modern diet. Research has linked added sugar to epigenetic aging, finding that consuming foods with added sugar is associated with accelerated biological aging even in the presence of an otherwise healthy diet. Added sugar above the recommended daily amount – about 200 calories for a 2,000-calorie diet, which equals about 12 teaspoons – has been associated with an increase in epigenetic age. Consuming too much added sugar and refined carbs is linked with elevated markers of inflammation in the body, as well as insulin resistance and weight gain, causing several changes in the body that help explain why a diet high in sugar can lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation. Think about it: inflammation is your body’s alarm system, and sugar keeps setting it off.
Artificial Sweeteners
Here’s the thing: many people switch to artificial sweeteners thinking they’re making a healthier choice. While non-nutritive sweeteners offer certain benefits including reduced caloric intake and improved blood sugar regulation, their impact on gut microbiome health raises important concerns, with the observed reduction in beneficial bacteria and the rise in pathogenic strains underscoring the need for caution. Compared to controls, scientists noted significant differences in both stool and duodenal (small intestine) microbial diversity and composition, with levels of circulating inflammatory markers also altered in participants who consumed non-aspartame non-sugar sweeteners as well as those using aspartame only. Research suggests artificial sweeteners might speed up brain aging, with studies finding faster decline in overall memory and thinking skills.
Refined Grains
A Western dietary pattern typically includes red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, French fries, and high-fat dairy products, as well as refined grains, and has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. It’s hard to say for sure, but the evidence is mounting. Americans have widespread consumption of foods like processed meat and added sugars combined with low intake of longevity-promoting foods like whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fish. An optimal diet had substantially higher intake than a typical diet of whole grains, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, and included a handful of nuts, while reducing red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains. The problem with refined grains is they’ve been stripped of their nutritional value, leaving you with empty calories that spike your blood sugar.
Ultra-Processed Foods
High intake of ultra-processed foods – particularly processed meats, sugary breakfast foods, and sugar- or artificially sweetened beverages – may increase risk of early death, with participants who ate the most ultra-processed food facing higher risk of all-cause mortality as well as mortality from neurodegenerative diseases. Highly processed meat and soft drinks were a couple of the subgroups of ultra-processed food most strongly associated with mortality risk. Most longevity doctors I know steer clear of foods that come in packages with ingredient lists longer than this article. Greater consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with higher all-cause mortality, even in a health-conscious Adventist population with many vegetarians, with Fraser advising avoiding consuming them at high levels.
Fried Foods Rich in AGEs
Animal products that are high in protein and fat, especially if they are fried, grilled, or roasted, have the highest amount of AGEs per serving, while plant-based foods are much lower, even after being cooked. Advanced glycation end products are the real problem here. Glycation is a naturally occurring but irreversible chemical reaction that occurs when sugar molecules bind to proteins or lipids, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), with longer-lived proteins in the skin accumulating more AGEs, which in turn can lead to inflammation and free radicals. Eating high amounts of added sugars can cause more AGEs to be produced in your body, and having a higher concentration of AGEs leads to oxidative stress and inflammation. Think about crispy bacon or fried chicken – delicious but potentially aging you faster.
Excessive Red Meat
Once researchers parsed animal-based foods into sub-categories, they found an increased mortality risk associated with moderate consumption of red meat compared to no red meat. Applying NutriGRADE, the evidence on the positive association between red and processed meats and type 2 diabetes was rated to be of high quality, while the evidence on the association between red and processed meats and mortality was rated to be of moderate quality. Replacing it makes a bigger difference than you’d think. People in the study who replaced one serving a day of refined grains with whole grains reduced their risk of dying over the study period by 8 percent, while people who replaced one daily serving of red meat with whole grains reduced their risk of dying over the study period.
High-Sodium Packaged Foods
She also went cold turkey on fatty meats and junk food, even starting making her own sauces to replace storebought sauces that are often full of salt and preservatives. Sodium is sneaky – it lurks in places you wouldn’t expect. We avoid fried, salted and candied nuts, which contain more oil, salt or sugar than our body needs. Too much salt raises blood pressure and strains your cardiovascular system over time. Honestly, when you start reading labels, you’ll be shocked at how much sodium is hiding in seemingly innocent foods like bread, canned soups, and deli meats. The World Health Organization recommends less than 2000 milligrams per day, but most packaged foods blow through that limit fast.
Foods High in Trans Fats
Trans fatty acids reduce levels of good cholesterol and increase the bad, which is known to increase the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart disease. While many countries have banned artificial trans fats, they still pop up in some commercially baked goods and fried foods. For example, replacing 5 percent of energy intake from saturated fat, trans fat, and refined carbohydrates with MUFA intake from plant sources (such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados) was associated with lower risk of CHD, whereas the same substitution with MUFA from animal sources did not confer the same beneficial effects. Even small amounts can wreak havoc on your arteries and heart health over decades of exposure.
What’s truly remarkable about this list is how interconnected everything becomes. The United States emerged with the greatest opportunity to increase longevity, due to Americans’ widespread consumption of foods like processed meat and added sugars, combined with low intake of longevity-promoting foods like whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fish. Wider research has shown us that overall dietary patterns that include higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and fermented dairy products like yogurt are good for health and longevity. The good news is you don’t need perfection – just progress. Even small shifts away from these problematic foods toward whole, minimally processed options can add years to your life and life to your years. What surprised you most on this list?
