Knowledge Tree
ultra-processed foods
Also known as: Ultra-processed foods, ultraprocessed foods, ultra-processed foods, UPFs, ultra-processed food and drink products, ultra-processed products, ultraprocessed food, ultra-processed food, ultra-processed food products
Facts (33)
Sources
Associations between dietary diversity and self-rated health in a ... link.springer.com Feb 28, 2025 11 facts
referenceCanhada et al. published the 'Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)' in 2020 in Public Health Nutrition, which examined the association between ultra-processed foods and incident overweight, obesity, and longitudinal changes in weight and waist circumference.
claimFor individuals living with diet-related diseases like diabetes, unhealthy and ultra-processed foods often constitute a substantial part of their dietary profile.
referenceRauber et al. conducted a longitudinal study published in 2015 in 'Nutr Metabolism Cardiovasc Dis' regarding the consumption of ultra-processed food products and its effects on children’s lipid profiles.
referenceVandevijvere et al. published a study in 2019 in Obesity Reviews regarding global trends in ultra-processed food and drink product sales and their association with adult body mass index trajectories.
claimIn Guadeloupe and French Guiana, indigenous and introduced foods coexist, interact, and may hybridize, while ultra-processed foods are common and their impact on health aligns with Popkin’s nutrition transition model.
claimNutrition therapy for managing diabetes requires both reducing the consumption of unhealthy and ultra-processed foods and increasing dietary diversity to improve overall nutrient intake and health outcomes.
referenceCosta et al. published a longitudinal study in 2019 in 'Nutr Metabolism Cardiovasc Dis' regarding the effects of ultra-processed food consumption on anthropometric and glucose profiles during childhood.
referenceMoreira et al. published a study in 2015 in PLOS ONE using a modelling approach to compare policy scenarios for reducing ultra-processed food consumption in the UK and its impact on cardiovascular disease mortality.
referenceMendonça et al. published the 'University of Navarra Follow-Up (SUN) cohort study' in 2016 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which examined the association between ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of overweight and obesity.
referenceDelpino et al. (2022) conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies, finding a link between ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
referenceMendonça et al. published the 'Seguimiento Universidad De Navarra Project' in 2017 in the American Journal of Hypertension, which examined the association between ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of hypertension in a Mediterranean cohort.
Dietary Guidelines and Quality - Principles of Nutritional Assessment nutritionalassessment.org 5 facts
claimSeveral studies have documented higher calcium intakes associated with higher ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, potentially due to the consumption of sweetened or other processed dairy products.
referenceThe NOVA classification system, first proposed in 2010, categorizes foods into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed food and drink products.
claimRecent reviews have associated high ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with negative health outcomes, including overweight, obesity, cardiometabolic risks, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and all-cause mortality.
claimUltra-processed food (UPF) examples include packaged instant soups and noodles, carbonated beverages, reconstituted meat products, many sweet and savory packaged snacks, frozen ready meals, and fast food dishes.
quoteMonteiro et al. (2019, p. 936) define the method for identifying ultra-processed products: "A practical way to identify an ultra-processed product is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the NOVA ultra-processed food group, which is to say, either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolysed proteins), or classes of additives designed to make the final product palatable or more appealing (such as flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents)."
Western Diet: How it affects health, risks, and complications medicalnewstoday.com Oct 27, 2023 4 facts
claimResearch suggests that consuming large quantities of ultra-processed foods may play a significant role in obesity.
claimThe Standard American Diet (SAD) is characterized by high consumption of sodium, red meats, trans fats, saturated fats, processed meats, refined grains, high-fat dairy products, sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and alcohol.
claimUltra-processed foods (UPFs) include white bread, sweetened breakfast cereals, savory snacks, candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, pizza with fatty processed meat toppings, sausages, lunch meats, and bacon.
claimThe Standard American Diet (SAD) contains vast amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat and contain minimal whole foods.
How the intersection of modern diets, climate, and food systems is ... medicalxpress.com Nov 17, 2025 2 facts
claimThe increased market share of ultra-processed foods in the United States has exacerbated declines in biodiversity.
perspectiveGovernment subsidies currently supporting the production of ultra-processed foods should be redirected to support nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, and environmentally sustainable plant-based food options.
Measuring Adherence to Sustainable Healthy Diets - R Discovery discovery.researcher.life Dec 26, 2022 2 facts
formulaThe SUSDIET overall score ranges from 0 to 15, with each of the three dimensions (plant variety, animal intake, ultra-processed foods) equally weighted to range from 0 to 5 points, where a higher score indicates a more healthy and sustainable diet.
claimThe SUSDIET is a food-based diet quality score developed through expert consensus that incorporates three dimensions: variety of plant foods, intake of animal products, and dietary contribution of ultra-processed foods.
Global dietary quality in 185 countries from 1990 to 2018 show wide ... nature.com Sep 19, 2022 2 facts
claimGlobal trends in ultraprocessed food and drink product sales are associated with adult body mass index trajectories.
measurementPurchases of ultra-processed food in Mexican households increased between 1984 and 2016.
Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in the mountainous ... link.springer.com Oct 4, 2024 1 fact
referenceBaker P., Machado P., Santos T., Sievert K., Backholer K., Hadjikakou M., and Lawrence M. published 'Ultra-processed foods and the nutrition transition: global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers' in Obesity Reviews in 2020, volume 21, issue 12, article e13126.
New dietary guidelines underscore importance of healthy eating newsroom.heart.org Jan 7, 2026 1 fact
claimThe American Heart Association is committed to working with the U.S. administration to inform the development of an operational definition of ultraprocessed food, building upon the Association’s recent science advisory on ultraprocessed foods.
The Western Diet: Processed Foods and Meats Are Killing Us sentientmedia.org Jan 10, 2019 1 fact
measurementA 2016 study published in BMJ Open found that more than half of the calories consumed by Americans come from ultra-processed foods, which are loaded with synthetic trans fats, artificial sweeteners (such as high fructose corn syrup), and sodium.
How the Modern Western Diet is Destroying Us cornellhealthcarereview.org Dec 18, 2025 1 fact
claimIndustrially manufactured ultra-processed foods, which constitute the majority of Western diets, contain artificial additives, preservatives, synthetic flavors, emulsifiers, and pesticide residues that may adversely affect the gut microbiota and compromise the integrity of the gut lining.
To Follow the Real Early Human Diet, Eat Everything scientificamerican.com Jun 25, 2024 1 fact
claimPaleo or caveman diets and modern meat-centric diets both shun ultraprocessed foods such as potato chips, breakfast cereals, packaged breads, sodas, and hot dogs.
Diet composition and staple-food dependence as structural ... researchsquare.com 1 fact
claimDiets high in ultra-processed foods may show high diet diversity but are linked with poor health outcomes, including obesity and cardiovascular risk.
Food Environment, Climate Change, Inflammation, Diet, and Health sciencedirect.com 1 fact
claimThe shift toward proinflammatory modern diets is attributed to the promotion of calorie-dense and ultra-processed foods.