Brits have been issued a stark warning about a type of food that makes up a significant portion of the average UK diet, with claims it could raise the risk of dementia, diabetes, and heart disease. Professor Tim Spector, founder of Zoe Health, has urged Brits to cut out ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in 2025, citing alarming statistics that 60 percent of our calories come from these “junk foods” which are “playing havoc with our health”.
In a video, he explained: “It’s a stat that’s hard to swallow – 60 percent of our calories come from ultra processed junk foods and it’s playing havoc with our health. ” “I’m sharing the first of our science backed tips to eat better in 2025. New research shows a high intake of ultra processed foods are linked to significant weight gain and increased risk of dementia, diabetes and heart disease.”
He also offered advice on how to identify UPFs, saying: “So what can we do? Firstly look at the front of the pack, be sceptical.
“This is not an honest representation of what you’re buying. It’s an advert. Secondly, look at the ingredients.
“Check whether it’s high in salt, fat, and sugar, and make sure there’s some fibre in there. And beware if there’s anything on the ingredient list you don’t instantly recognise.”
His advice comes as a study unveiled a shocking link between ultra-processed foods and a host of health problems. The research, published in the British Medical Journal in 2024, suggests that these types of foods significantly heighten the risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, mental health issues, and even premature death.
The authors of the study declared: “Overall, direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.”
They further observed: “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorders and mortality outcomes.”
The researchers concluded by emphasising the significance of their findings for public health: “These findings provide a rationale to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of using population-based and public-health measures to target and reduce dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods for improved human health.”