Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson has said he's dramatically overhauling his diet just months a frightening health scare. The 65-year-old broadcaster revealed last year that he'd undergone cardiac surgery after his heart health suddenly worsened.

Jeremy subsequently told how he'd been fitted with a stent, a device which keeps the artery open, and made substantial changes to his eating regime.

Nevertheless, he's now said he's now been told he now can now eat meat and drink alcohol as long as he eliminates one particular food category from his diet, reports GloucestershireLive.

Speaking to The Times, the Clarkson's Farm star explained: "I just had to find a doctor who thought I should be allowed to drink and eat meat. It took a long time but I found one. He just said: 'Don't eat ultra-processed food.'"

Earlier this year, Jeremy provided additional insight into his dietary approach after surgery, which featured a 'mono-diet'.

Describing the concept behind the diet, he explained: "The way my doctor here described it, if it has one ingredient, like steak, or egg, it's fine. But not supermarket lasagne."

Jeremy's choice to eliminate ultra-processed foods (UPFs) places him amongst a rising number of individuals attempting to banish them from their diets.

Furthermore, recent scientific findings have indicated that UPFs might adversely affect longevity, with a new study proposing that those who consume significant quantities could face premature mortality risks.

The study, featured in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, aimed to gauge the effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on health by examining medical records from eight nations including Australia, Brazil, the US, Mexico, the UK, Chile, Colombia, and Canada.

According to the BBC, the research suggested that around 14 percent of early deaths might be attributed to the damage inflicted by UPFs, though further investigation is necessary.

Dr Eduardo Nilson, the study's lead author, proposed a possible explanation for the association, stating it could be "because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavours and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids".

Conversely, Professor Kevin McConway, an emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, urged caution in interpreting the findings too broadly.

He remarked: "It's still far from clear whether consumption of just any UPF at all is bad for health, or what aspect of UPFs might be involved.

"This all means that it's impossible for any one study to be sure whether differences in mortality between people who consume different UPF amounts are actually caused by differences in their UPF consumption. You still can't be sure from any study of this kind exactly what's causing what."