> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Want to lower premature death risk?  Cut intake of unhealthy foods
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/want_to_lower_premature_death_risk_0504151116/
- Published: 2015-05-04T12:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:47:23.000Z
- Description: Among 3,226 British men aged 60 to 79 followed for 11 years, those eating the most of a pattern built on red meat, meat products, white bread, fried potato and eggs were 40 percent more likely to die of any cause. The highest intake of the healthy pattern matched a 17 percent lower risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Monday May 4, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study most recently released in the journal Circulation suggests that reducing intake of unhealthy foods may lower the risk of all-cause mortality.

The study led by Peter Whincup of St George's Univ of London in London, United Kingdom and colleagues identified a number of foods including red meat, meat products, white bread, fried potato, and eggs as unhealthy foods, which are associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. 

To be specific, those who ate the highest amount of unhealthy foods were 40 percent more likely to die from all causes, compared with those eating the lowest amount of unhealthy foods.

On the other hand, the study of 3226 men aged 60 to 79 years enrolled in the British Regional Heart Study also identified a number of foods as healthy foods including "poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, legumes, pasta, rice, wholemeal bread, eggs and olive oil", which were associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

Specifically, those who ate the highest amount of healthy foods were found 17% less likely to die from all causes during the follow-up.

For the study, the researchers employed a statistical technique called principal component analysis to assess the effects of 34 food groups on the all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, cardiovascular disease events, and coronary heart disease events. All participants in the study were followed for 11 years, At baseline, patients were free of cardiovascular disease and surveyed using a food frequency questionnaire to determine their intakes of various foods.

The study also found "sweet" or carbohydrate based foods including "biscuits, puddings, chocolate, sweets, sweet spreads and breakfast cereal" had no effects on the risk of all-cause mortality.

However, none of the identified dietary patterns, unhealthy, healthy nor sweet foods, were significantly associated with the cardiovascular mortality, CVD events or CHD events.

The study concluded "Dietary patterns are an important risk factor for all-cause mortality in the elderly. Older adults should avoid a high consumption of components of an ‘unhealthy’ dietary pattern to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality." (David Liu)

Reference

Janice Atkins ; Peter Whincup ; Richard Morris ; Lucy Lennon ; Olia Papacosta ; Goya Wannamethee, Principal Component Analysis of Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Older British Men, Circulation