Research
Mixed
High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, independent of nutrient profile.
Reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods (items with industrial ingredients, additives, or intense processing) by focusing on whole, minimally processed foods. This shift is supported by strong evidence to lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Over 70 long term prospective epidemiological studies... and a handful of short term interventional studies have also consistently observed that consuming ultra-processed foods is linked with weight gain and increased risk of various diseases, particularly cardiometabolic conditions.
Why this rating
Strong observational evidence from 70+ studies and short-term RCTs, though long-term RCTs are lacking.
Source
Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait
Mathilde Touvier et al. · BMJ · 2023
DOI 10.1136/bmj-2023-075294
narrative_reviewCited 140×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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Related findings · Mixed
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →