Ultra Processed Foods News and Research

RSS

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.

Uncovering the hidden metabolic effects of soybean oil

Soybean oil, the most widely consumed cooking oil in the United States and a staple of processed foods, contributes to obesity, at least in mice, through a mechanism scientists are now beginning to understand.

27 Nov 2025

Urban households across Barcelona show low or moderate adherence to Mediterranean diet

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in urban households across Barcelona is low or moderate, despite its widely recognized benefits for cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health.

26 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to rise in prediabetes risk

The study reveals that ultra-processed foods heighten prediabetes risk in young adults with obesity history, stressing the importance of healthy eating habits.

25 Nov 2025

Study reveals metabolic benefits of reducing ultra-processed foods in older adults

A controlled feeding study out of South Dakota State University shows that older adults who ate fewer ultra-processed foods naturally consumed fewer calories, lost weight and abdominal fat, and showed improvements in insulin, nutrient-sensing hormones, and inflammation.

24 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed foods make up one-fifth of Italian calories - here’s who's most affected

Italian researchers found that ultra-processed foods make up about 20 percent of daily calories in adults, with younger, single, and Northern residents consuming the most. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was strongly linked to lower UPF intake across all sociodemographic groups.

24 Nov 2025

Diet swap alters breast milk composition within six days

Swapping beef for a plant-based meat substitute changed breast milk composition in just six days - even when the rest of the diet was made up of whole, unprocessed foods - according to a first-of-its-kind study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

21 Nov 2025

Ultraprocessed diets affect teens and young adults differently

A study reveals that adolescents consume more calories on ultraprocessed diets, highlighting a critical vulnerability in modern food environments.

21 Nov 2025

Global experts call for urgent action to curb rising ultra-processed food consumption

Food companies are driving a global rise in ultra-processed food consumption that is damaging our health, and also preventing government action that could limit its harm, an international study reveals.

20 Nov 2025

Experts call for bold policies to curb the health harms of ultra-processed foods

The increase of UPFs in diets worldwide presents an urgent challenge to health that demands coordinated policies and advocacy action to address, says a new three paper Series authored by 43 global experts and published in The Lancet. The Series exposes the tactics UPF companies use to drive consumption and prevent effective policy.

18 Nov 2025

Trial investigates how quickly human milk responds to common plant based meat swaps

Replacing beef with a plant based beef substitute for six days changed the fatty acid composition of human milk, increasing medium chain saturated fats and lowering key long chain polyunsaturated fats such as arachidonic acid. These biochemical shifts occurred without changes in maternal weight, appetite, glucose patterns or infant milk intake.

18 Nov 2025

Low-glutamate diet improves migraine symptoms in veterans with Gulf War Illness

Veterans with Gulf War Illness experienced significant improvement in migraine symptoms after following a diet low in glutamate, a component of flavor enhancing food additives commonly found in processed foods, according to new research presented by Georgetown University and American University scientists.

17 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to precursors of early-onset colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer used to be associated with old age, but diagnoses have become increasingly common in adults aged 50 or younger particularly in high-income countries like the United States.

13 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed food consumption increases the risk for prediabetes in young adults

More than half of calories consumed in the United States come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), items like fast food and packaged snacks that are often high in sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats.

10 Nov 2025

How modern habits are reshaping the Mediterranean diet for the worse

Nearly all children and adolescents in five Mediterranean countries consume unhealthy ultra-processed foods daily, according to the DELICIOUS Project. The study links higher intake to obesity, older age, screen time, eating out, and exposure to food advertising.

9 Nov 2025

Gluten-free guide lifts diet quality for children but lasting change needs support

A new pilot RCT in children with celiac disease found that a single counselling session using a Gluten-Free Food Guide (GFFG) temporarily improved diet quality, variety, and milk intake but the benefits faded within six months. Ongoing support may be essential for lasting dietary change.

6 Nov 2025

Study finds high intake of ultra-processed foods tied to reduced DNA methylation

Women who consumed more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) showed distinct DNA methylation patterns, mostly reduced across key gene regions. These exploratory findings suggest that high UPF intake may influence gene regulation through epigenetic mechanisms.

4 Nov 2025

Swapping meat for plant-based options cuts fat but lowers protein, study finds

Replacing meat with plant-based or mycoprotein alternatives in UK diets lowers saturated fat and boosts fiber but reduces protein intake, especially for teens and older adults. The overall saturated fat reduction is too small to meaningfully affect cholesterol levels, researchers report in npj Science of Food.

4 Nov 2025

Are ultra-processed plant foods really worse than meat? Scientists weigh in

A new review challenges assumptions about ultra-processed foods, finding that plant-based versions, such as soymilk, meat analogs, and soft margarines, may lower cholesterol and disease risk compared with unprocessed animal foods when used as replacements.

26 Oct 2025

Restricted sugar intake during early life associated with lower cardiovascular risks in adulthood

Restricted sugar intake during early life is linked to lower risks of several heart conditions in adulthood, including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, finds a study published by The BMJ today using data from the end of UK sugar rationing in 1953.

23 Oct 2025

Night shift work may raise risk of irritable bowel syndrome

The study indicates that night shift work increases irritable bowel syndrome risk, particularly among those with obesity, due to circadian rhythm disturbances.

22 Oct 2025