Doctor issues warning over foods that are ‘worse for you than smoking’

As a matter of fact, some of these foods are more damaging to your health than cigarettes, as the doctor has explained.

NHS doctor Chris van Tuellken, while appearing on the podcast Diary of a CEO, has suggested that ultra-processed foods have “overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of early death on planet Earth”.

In fact, they should be classed as “industrially processed edible substances,” he said, rather than food.

Ultra-processed foods often contain additives and ingredients not common in everyday cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours, the British Heart Foundation says.

To make things worse, they also tend to have high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar, and it’s been previously suggested that the additives in UPFS may negatively impact our health.

As it looked looking at 10 million participants over 45 studies, a 2024 review from the British Medical Journal suggests that eating more ultra-processed foods could lead to a higher mortality rate.

It also has some connections to conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health disorders.

But which foods are the ones you should avoid to keep your body as healthy as possible?

• Supermarket bread
• Energy drinks
• Breakfast cereals
• Hot dogs
• Vegan meat and cheese
• Chicken nuggets
• Reformulated potato snacks
• Margarine
• Ready meals

You should also cut down on ultra-processed food, however, the British Heart Foundation says it is still unclear whether we need to cut them out entirely.

And according to the NHS, not all processed foods are made equally and looking at food labels can help when it comes to choosing what to eat.

You should also swap processed versions for healthier options, such as fruit, vegetables, fish, and unsaturated oils, The British Heart Foundation recommends.