A new study by researchers in United States, has found that eating high amounts of ultraprocessed foods may weaken bones and increase the risk of fractures.

The study, published in ‘The British Journal of Nutrition,’ revealed that people who consumed more ultraprocessed foods had lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of hip fractures.

To this end, the researchers urged people to reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods and focus on healthier diets rich in whole foods to protect bone health and lower fracture risk.

Researchers analysed health data from more than 160,000 participants in the UK Biobank database and followed them for over 12 years.

On average, participants consumed about eight servings of ultraprocessed foods daily. The findings showed that for every additional 3.7 servings of ultra-processed foods eaten each day, the risk of hip fracture increased by 10.5 per cent. This amount could equal items such as a frozen dinner, a cookie and a soda.