Ultra Processed Foods News and Research

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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrially manufactured goods that contain additives like colors, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives, as well as materials that have been extracted from food, such as oils, fats, sugars, starches, and protein isolates. These goods, which include packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant noodles, and prepared meals, are made to be shelf-stable, convenient, and extremely palatable. Despite the fact that they are frequently high in energy and low in nutrients, their consumption has grown significantly worldwide. There are calls for public health policies to limit the use of UPFs due to mounting evidence that they are linked to negative health outcomes, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer in men

For many Americans, the convenience of pre-cooked and instant meals may make it easy to overlook the less-than-ideal nutritional information, but a team led by researchers at Tufts University and Harvard University hope that will change after recently discovering a link between the high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

1 Sep 2022

Consumption of ultra-processed foods increases risk of COVID-19

Researchers explore the association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

21 Aug 2022

How ultraprocessed foods affect gut microbiome and health

Researchers describe the association between the consumption of ultraprocessed foods and chronic medical conditions.

10 Aug 2022

Study highlights the urgent need to evaluate deficiencies in the energy balance model for the prevention and treatment of obesity

In a new study, researchers highlighted the urgent need to substitute highly processed carbohydrates with minimally processed carbohydrates or healthy fats to cease the obesity pandemic that continues relentlessly.

2 Aug 2022

People who eat more ultra-processed foods may have higher risk of dementia

People who eat the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, chips and cookies may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those who eat the lowest amounts, according to a new study published in the July 27, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Jul 2022

Newly identified gut bacterial strains could pave the way for IBD and colon cancer prevention

Researchers have isolated five strains of gut bacteria that could pave the way for new inflammatory bowel disease treatments and potentially help prevent some forms of bowel cancer.

5 Jul 2022

How does gut microbiota impact mental health in 18–25s?

In a recently published article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, scientists have described the importance of the gut-brain-microbiota axis in establishing optimal mental health in emerging adulthood (ages 18–25).

16 Jun 2022

Study shows how consumption of ultraprocessed foods affects children

A new study found that children ages 3 to 5 who consumed more ultraprocessed foods had poorer locomotor skills than children who consumed less of these foods. It also showed lower cardiovascular fitness in 12- to 15-year-olds who consumed more ultraprocessed foods.

14 Jun 2022

The microbiome plays a vital role in a healthy diet

A recent study discusses the current national nutritional recommendations from the viewpoint of the gut microbiota.

14 Jun 2022

Consumption of ultra-processed foods among teens reduced significantly during COVID-19

For the first time in the last 30 years, the consumption of ultra-processed foods among teenagers in the United States declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study presented at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

13 Jun 2022

Experts weigh evidence for and against incorporating ultra-processed foods into dietary guidelines

Dietary guidelines form the basis for nutrition advice and regulations around the world. While there is strong scientific consensus around most existing guidelines, one question has recently stirred debate: Should consumers be warned to avoid ultra-processed foods?

7 Jun 2022

British children's sugar intake exceeds current public health recommendations

A new study, being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, Netherlands (4-7 May), suggests that children in the UK start consuming free sugars (those added to foods and drinks and those occurring naturally in fruit juices, honey and syrups) at a very young age, and that many toddlers' sugar intake exceeds the maximum recommended amount for children aged 4 and older.

2 May 2022

What impact are ultra-processed diets having on our planet?

In this interview, we speak to Fernanda Marrocos about her latest research that investigated the impacts ultra-processed diets are having on our planet.

21 Apr 2022

Researchers calculate the impact of consuming ultra-processed foods on obesity risk

Based on data for 3,587 adolescents aged 12-19 who took part in the 2011-16 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have calculated the impact of consuming ultra-processed foods on the risk of obesity.

12 Apr 2022

URI professor helps create new AHA dietary guidelines

Following heart-healthy nutritional guidance - despite the well-known benefits of doing so and the even better known detriments of not - often proves to be a difficult commitment.

7 Apr 2022

Ultra-processed foods in diets are damaging human and planetary health

A global diet that increasingly includes ultra-processed foods is having a negative impact on the diversity of plant species available for human consumption while also damaging human and planetary health, according to a commentary published in the journal BMJ Global Health.

29 Mar 2022

Tobacco-style health campaigns are required to spell out the harms of ultra processed foods

Tobacco-style public health campaigns are needed to spell out the full extent of the harms of ultra processed foods, argue public health experts in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

22 Dec 2021

New guidelines for heart-healthy eating

We speak to Dr. Alice Lichtenstein about the American Heart Association’s latest guidelines for a heart-healthy diet, and how they can be applied across different lifestyles.

14 Dec 2021

Industrially processed foods increase the risk of a second heart attack or a fatal stroke

Ultra-processed foods are a major public health concern for their potential adverse effects on health. Now a study by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli (Italy) explores the health effects of a large dietary share of ultra-processed food on people already suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

30 Nov 2021

Study finds high and increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods among Americans

Consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased over the past two decades across nearly all segments of the U.S. population, according to a new study by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.

15 Oct 2021