Ultra-processed foods tied to 4 in 10 heart and stroke deaths in Canada – National [Video]

Canadians consume a lot of ultra-processed foods, like nuggets, fries and soda, that have been linked to nearly four in 10 heart disease and stroke events in Canada, including death, a new study suggests.

Research funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada published Tuesday showed that ultra-processed food and drink make up more than 40 per cent of the total daily energy intake among Canadians aged 20 years and older.

“We found that ultra-processed foods are a significant contributor to the burden of heart disease and stroke in Canada,” said Virginie Hamel, a registered dietitian and PhD candidate at the Université de Montréal, who worked on the study.

The Canadian research – a first of its kind – found that an estimated 37 per cent of all new coronary heart disease and stroke cases and 38 per cent of all deaths from these cardiovascular diseases among adults in 2019 could be blamed on the consumption of …