Ultra-processed food and health: the hard facts

Ultra-processed food has expanded worldwide over the past decades — and, according to a major international research group, there is no sign of that slowing down. The researchers show that these products increasingly replace traditional dietary patterns. Not only in countries where they have been dominant for years, but also in regions where consumption used to be low. That shift, they note, aligns with a rising risk of several chronic conditions.

Global shift toward ultra-processed diets

National food surveys show that the share of ultra-processed products has been increasing for decades. Sometimes gradually, sometimes rapidly, especially in countries where consumption once started at very low levels. In markets with already high consumption, growth has slowed somewhat, mainly due to a decline in sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Meanwhile, other categories continue to rise.

Sales data from 93 countries show growth across all ten product groups examined: beverages, snacks, breakfast items, ready meals, sauces, meat products, dairy variants and more. With this, the researchers write, traditional dietary patterns are pushed further into the background.

Impact on overall diet quality

A higher share of ultra-processed products leads, according to the analyses, to clear shifts in the nutritional profile. More free sugars, more total fat and more saturated fat are common. Lower levels of fibre, protein, minerals and a range of vitamins as well.

In clinical studies, participants consumed significantly more calories when almost all their food was ultra-processed. Factors such as energy density, hyper-palatability, soft textures, disrupted food matrices and the rapid absorption of refined components all play a role, the researchers explain. They also describe a lower intake of protective plant compounds, along with increased exposure to toxic substances and certain additives.

Higher likelihood of several conditions

Out of 104 prospective studies, 92 reported a higher risk of one or more chronic diseases among people consuming more ultra-processed foods. The meta-analyses show elevated risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease or mortality, cerebrovascular disease or mortality, chronic kidney disease, Crohn’s disease and depression.

For many outcomes, the associations remained after adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors. The literature mentions several possible mechanisms, including inflammation, disrupted glucose regulation, microbiome changes, dyslipidaemia and increased strain on the liver and kidneys.

Thelancet.com