A new study warns that eating ultra-processed foods like sugary drinks and packaged snacks may significantly increase the risk of various health problems, including hypertension, cancer and mortality.
Consumption of ultra-processed foods, including sugary beverages, potato chips and packaged cookies, may drastically affect health, according to research to be presented at the ACC Asia 2025 Together with SCS 36th Annual Scientific Meeting occurring on May 9-11 in Singapore. The study links these foods to a range of adverse health outcomes, such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, digestive issues and even increased mortality rates.
“Ultra-processed foods are characterized by high sugar, high salt and other non-nutritive components, exhibiting low nutritional density yet high caloric content,” Xiao Liu, MD, who is with the department of cardiology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a news release. “These products may contribute to adverse health outcomes through multiple mechanisms, including but not limited to dysregulation of blood lipid profiles, alterations in gut microbiota composition, promotion of obesity, induction of systemic inflammation, exacerbation of oxidative stress and impairment of insulin sensitivity.”
The systematic review included data from 41 prospective cohort studies across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, involving over 8 million adults, of which 30.8% were male and 69.2% were female.
The participants’ intake of ultra-processed foods was linked to various health issues, with risks escalating with every 100 grams consumed daily.
Specifically, each additional 100 grams per day was associated with a 14.5% higher risk of hypertension, 5.9% increased risk of cardiovascular events, 1.2% increased risk of cancer, 19.5% higher risk of digestive diseases, and a 2.6% increase in all-cause mortality.
The researchers utilized the Nova food classification system to define ultra-processed foods, which are industrially manufactured products derived from natural foods that undergo extensive processing and contain significant amounts of additives like preservatives, colorants and flavor enhancers.
“Clinicians should clearly explain that ultra-processed foods are typically high in added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats while being low in fiber, essential vitamins and other protective nutrients. This nutritional imbalance contributes to a wide range of adverse health outcomes,” Liu added. “Emerging evidence suggests a dose-response relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and negative health outcomes — meaning the more ultra-processed foods consumed, the greater the health risk. Therefore, reducing ultra-processed foods intake, even modestly, may offer measurable health benefits.”
The findings highlight the need for policy changes to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Recommendations include stricter food labeling regulations and requiring manufacturers to disclose all additives in their products. Clinicians are also encouraged to advise patients to gradually replace ultra-processed foods with more nutritious, minimally processed alternatives.
While there are limitations regarding the generalizability of the findings due to varying definitions of ultra-processed foods, Liu emphasized that health benefits are linked to whole foods and healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diet. More high-quality studies are needed to explore this topic further.
Source: American College of Cardiology