Mixed
High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiometabolic outcomes, mortality, cancer, and depressive symptoms, independent of overall nutritional quality.
Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods. While checking nutritional labels (like Nutri-Score) is a good start, it is not enough. Actively limit ultra-processed foods (UPF) because they are linked to chronic disease risk through mechanisms beyond just calories and macros, such as additives and processing byproducts. Aim to replace UPF with raw or minimally processed alternatives.
Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses show associations between UPF intake and increased risk of several chronic conditions, especially obesity and cardiemetabolic outcomes (but also mortality, cancer, frailty, and depressive symptoms)... Associations between UPF and health outcomes were observed even when the overall poorer nutritional quality of UPF was fully accounted for in the models, suggesting that other factors probably play a role.
Why this rating
Based on large cohort studies (NutriNet-Santé, UK Biobank) and meta-analyses, but causal links require more RCTs on hard endpoints.
Source
Ultra-processed foods and human health: What do we already know and what will further research tell us?
Bernard Srour et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2021
DOI 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100747
Related findings · Mixed
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