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Large Study Links Small Daily Serving of Ultra-Processed Food to Higher Chronic Disease Risk
ReLarge Study Links Small Daily Serving of Ultra-Processed Food to Higher Chronic Disease Risk
A new analysis of nearly 8.8 million adults finds that each additional 100 grams of ultra-processed food per day is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events, cancer, diabetes, and death, prompting calls to prioritize minimally processed alternatives.
Eating even a small amount of ultra-processed food each day is associated with a higher risk of chronic disease, according to a large-scale analysis published Sept. 22 in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health. The study examined nearly 8.8 million adults across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, with follow-up periods ranging from two to 32 years.
For every additional 100 grams of ultra-processed foods consumed daily — roughly the size of a 3½-ounce bag of corn chips, a small box of candy, or a single-serve cup of mini cookies — researchers found a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular events, a 4% higher risk of cancer, a 3% higher risk of death from any cause, and a 2% higher risk of metabolic syndrome or diabetes. The findings were released alongside the study.
Ultra-processed foods are typically packaged and convenient, made through extensive industrial processing and often loaded with additives. They include sugary drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks, and candy. People with the highest intake of these foods also faced higher risks of digestive diseases, depression or anxiety, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular events compared with those who consumed the least.
«Given that UPF-related chronic diseases often cluster as multimorbidity, reducing consumption of UPFs and replacing them with minimally processed alternatives may be relevant for chronic disease prevention and primary care management,» wrote the researchers, led by Xiao Liu, a cardiologist at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital in China and a research fellow at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.
Kelly Springer, a New York-based registered dietitian and founder of Kelly's Choice, who was not involved in the research, said these foods tend to crowd out healthier, nutrient-dense options. «It's not that you can never eat them again,» Springer told Fox News Digital. «It's the fact that we are not getting real foods — real foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains.»
Rather than focusing on removing foods, Springer recommended adding protein and fiber to meals and snacks. She suggested options such as an apple with peanut butter, nuts with cucumbers, or meals built around beans, chicken, or tuna alongside fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. «A diet built around whole, minimally processed foods is one of the best investments we can make in our long-term health,» she added.
Springer noted that the study was observational, so it cannot establish that ultra-processed foods directly cause poor health outcomes. It also relied on participants' self-reported diets and may not account for other lifestyle factors. Nonetheless, she said, the study can teach people about the link between ultra-processed foods and chronic disease.
The research adds to a growing body of evidence connecting highly processed foods to long-term health problems. With chronic diseases often occurring together, the authors suggest that reducing ultra-processed food intake and choosing minimally processed alternatives could play a role in prevention and primary care. Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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