A doctor has dropped a bombshell on a hit podcast, claiming that one common foodstuff could be deadlier than cigarettes. Doctor Chris van Tulleken dished out the startling revelation on the Diary of a CEO podcast with host Steven Bartlett, and it's likely something we're all munching on.

The doc, who's an expert in infectious diseases and a familiar BBC science presenter, has a twin, Dr Xand van Tulleken, who's also a well-known BBC personality seen on shows like BBC Morning Live.

While discussing his book "Ultra-Processed People," Dr Chris delved into our dietary dilemmas: "For a very long time, we have been incredibly confused about what to eat.

"We've called the foods that harm us junk food and processed food - high fat, salt and sugar food. We've not had a way of labeling food even as a pandemic of disease taken over the world."

It's a worldwide issue, hitting hard in both impoverished nations and Ireland. The doctor pointed out: "This is particularly true in low income countries," reports the Mirror.

"So poor diet, which means a diet high and ultra processed foods (UPF), has overtaken tobacco as a leading cause of early death on planet Earth for humans, for the animals we farm and for wild animals."