For years, countless studies have linked ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of various health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and a shorter lifespan.
“The health risks of these foods are likely related to the specific processes of how these foods are made, the ingredients they contain, and the displacement of healthier unprocessed or minimally processed foods,” Glenn says.
Research links consuming ultra-processed foods with:
- Type 2 Diabetes In a study of more than 100,000 adults, each 10 percent increase in the proportion of people’s daily calories coming from ultra-processed foods was associated with a 15 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Heart disease Another study with more than 100,000 adults linked each 10 percent increase in the proportion of daily calories from ultra-processed foods to a 12 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease. A separate study found each additional serving of ultra-processed foods associated with a 9 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
- Cancer Each 10 percent increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods was tied to a 12 percent higher risk of all cancers, and an 11 percent higher risk of breast cancer in particular, in another study with more than 100,000 participants.
- Dementia A study with more than 70,000 adults 55 and older found each 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption associated with a 25 percent higher risk of dementia and a 14 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Early Death A study of eating habits and longevity found people who consumed the most ultra-processed foods were 62 percent more likely to die prematurely.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you may also want to avoid ultra-processed foods. In a clinical trial, people given ultra-processed foods consumed about 500 calories more each day. Over two weeks, people eating ultra-processed foods gained about 2 pounds, while those eating unprocessed foods lost about 2 pounds.
Nonetheless, one limitation noted in many of the studies to date on ultra-processed foods is that they weren’t clinical trials designed to prove that eating these products directly causes specific diseases or weight gain, or sends people to an early grave.
Another limitation is that much of the research is based on systems like NOVA for defining ultra-processed foods based on how they’re manufactured — and not what nutrients they might contain, according to limitations noted in many of the studies.
“The category of ultra-processed is related to poor health, but it’s a very broad category,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, senior advisor to the provost and dean for policy at Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
“A breakfast cereal with tons of whole grains and honey is ultra-processed but so is one with tons of sugar,” Dr. Mozaffarian says.
