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.

Leveraging the microbiome to promote healthy living and aging

From probiotic pills to skincare products to dedicated meal plans, the microbiome is all the rage in the health and wellness space.

21 Oct 2025

Western diet fuels IBD by derailing the microbiome - can precision nutrition turn the tide?

This review examines how Western dietary patterns, high in ultra-processed foods, salt, and unhealthy fats, disrupt gut microbiota, impair immune regulation, and contribute to the global rise of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It highlights systems biology and nutritional epidemiology as essential tools to develop personalised dietary strategies and shift IBD care from treatment to prevention.

12 Oct 2025

Health authorities approve new plan to tackle NCDs in the Americas

Health authorities from across the Americas today approved a new 2025-2030 Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) during the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

6 Oct 2025

Common food additives may trigger childhood asthma

Researchers utilize metabolomics to investigate the mechanisms underlying the association between food additives and childhood asthma.

6 Oct 2025

Many older adults meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction

They were the first generation of Americans to grow up with ultra-processed foods all around them – products typically loaded with extra fat, salt, sugar and flavorings.

29 Sep 2025

Consumption of ultra-processed foods may exacerbate disease activity in early multiple sclerosis

Higher intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may exacerbate disease activity in early multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research presented at the 41st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS 2025).

24 Sep 2025

How food choices and cooking methods drive brain inflammation and disease

Researchers reviewing evidence in NeuroSci show how dietary AGEs and their interaction with RAGE drive oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. They highlight how cooking methods and diet choices could lower AGE burden and protect brain health, while calling for rigorous clinical trials.

24 Sep 2025

Cholesterol control improves but cardiovascular disease still increases in Mexico

Despite improved statin use and cholesterol control, cardiovascular disease risk rose in Mexico between 2016 and 2023, according to a study being presented at ACC Latin America 2025 that used region-specific tools to more accurately predict the local disease burden.

18 Sep 2025

Can changing food texture reduce how much we eat? Dutch study investigates

A new randomized controlled trial protocol from the Netherlands will test whether altering the texture, and thus the eating rate, of ultra-processed foods can reduce daily energy intake. The study will investigate how sensory properties, such as food hardness, affect metabolism, appetite, and microbiome composition.

16 Sep 2025

Healthier diets and diverse oral microbiomes lower frailty risk

This study links diet and oral microbiome diversity to frailty risk, emphasizing their potential in strategies for healthier aging and improved health outcomes.

10 Sep 2025

High consumption of ultra-processed foods increases a sensitive marker of inflammation

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrially altered products – like soda, snacks and processed meats – packed with additives and stripped of nutrients.

9 Sep 2025

Study links high intake of artificial sweeteners to faster cognitive decline

Some sugar substitutes may come with unexpected consequences for long-term brain health, according to a study published in the September 3, 2025, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Sep 2025

Ultra-processed foods affect sperm quality and metabolism even without extra calories

A controlled crossover trial in Cell Metabolism found that ultra-processed foods increase weight, fat mass, LDL:HDL cholesterol, and alter reproductive hormones in men, with some effects independent of calorie load. These diets also showed trends toward reduced sperm motility, shifts in pollutants, and transient inflammatory responses, highlighting risks beyond excess calories.

31 Aug 2025

Ultra-processed foods harm reproductive and metabolic health

Over the past 50 years, rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted. Driving these changes could be the increasing popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes.

28 Aug 2025

Food scientists identify worst additives for longevity: flavours, sweeteners, and colourings top list

Researchers analyzing data from 186,744 UK Biobank participants found that ultra-processed food consumption and specific additives, such as sugars, sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings, were linked to higher mortality. Some processing aids showed risks, while gelling agents appeared protective.

27 Aug 2025

How dietary formaldehyde links to worsening diabetes and memory loss

A new review reveals how everyday foods and hidden exposures to formaldehyde may fuel insulin resistance and chip away at memory, but also points to dietary patterns and emerging therapies that could help reduce the risk.

20 Aug 2025

Mediterranean diet success looks different for women and men, study of 4,000 adults reveals

A Mediterranean lifestyle survey of over 4,000 adults across seven countries found that while men and women scored similarly on overall adherence, they achieved this through different patterns of diet, exercise, and well-being. Tailored strategies may be needed to support gender-specific improvements in health behaviors.

18 Aug 2025

Ultra-processed foods undermine diet quality in Mediterranean youth, study shows

A large study across five Mediterranean countries found that children and adolescents who consumed more unhealthy ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had significantly poorer diet quality. Daily UPF intake was especially linked to lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet and reduced compliance with dietary guidelines.

18 Aug 2025

Cutting HFSS ultra-processed foods may save lives, says AHA report

The American Heart Association’s new science advisory links high consumption of ultra-processed foods to increased cardiometabolic risks and mortality, urging targeted reduction of HFSS UPFs. The report also calls for policy reforms, equity-focused strategies, and further research into mechanisms beyond nutrient content.

11 Aug 2025

Scientists set out to map the world’s traditional food environments and their health impacts

Researchers have developed a protocol for a scoping review to map global evidence on the food environments of traditional peoples and communities (TPCs), such as Indigenous groups and quilombolas, to identify knowledge gaps and guide policy.