Extremely-processed meals have been linked to all types of damaging well being results, together with however not restricted to an elevated danger of heart problems1, diabetes, and even most cancers2. So as to add to the record, a groundbreaking new research revealed in August in Nature Medication has simply recognized a direct hyperlink to weight problems3, confirming pre-existing proof that avoiding ultra-processed meals could contribute to weight reduction4.
What Are Extremely-Processed Meals?
As their identify suggests, ultra-processed meals (UPFs) are outlined as meals that include synthetic colours, preservatives, and components like sugar, salt, and fats. Not like plain outdated “processed meals” like canned fish, fruits in syrup, and freshly made breads, UPFs have greater than two or three components and sometimes include components which have been extracted from meals, like remoted starches, sugars, and hydrogenated fat.
Maybe even worse than the research concerning the damaging well being results of UPFs are the numbers round how prevalent these meals are within the common individual’s food plan. New knowledge launched in early August from the Facilities for Illness Management exhibits that greater than half of the each day energy consumed by People come from ultra-processed meals5.
The Adverse Results of Extremely-Processed Meals
The damaging well being results linked to those meals can come from their richness in chemical compounds and preservatives, explains Dr. Serena Goldstein, ND, who notes that these components in meals can disrupt hormones, sleep, and the flexibility of the liver and kidneys to detox. “Weight achieve is […] linked to poor sleep, hormone imbalance, elevated danger of coronary heart illness, and even simply general discomfort,” she says, “as these points don’t essentially occur by themselves.”
Extremely-processed meals usually maintain a low dietary worth, missing many important vitamins, and might be excessive in added sugars, saturated or trans fat, and sodium.
Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC at Vnutrition
Extremely-processed meals can even negatively have an effect on intestine well being, she says, and seeing as our intestine microbiome is “a identified participant in weight achieve,” these new findings are maybe no shock.
For Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC at Vnutrition specialised in intestine well being, weight administration, and disordered consuming, the risks of UPFs aren’t simply linked to components; they’re additionally notably poor within the vitamins we want.
“Extremely-processed meals usually maintain a low dietary worth, missing many important vitamins, and might be excessive in added sugars, saturated or trans fat, and sodium,” she says. “Common and/or extreme consumption of calorically dense, processed, and low nutritive worth meals cannot solely contribute to weight achieve but additionally improve irritation in our our bodies and the rise our danger for persistent ailments reminiscent of heart problems, Kind 2 diabetes, and most cancers.”
Don’t Be Fooled by UPFs Pretending to Be Wholesome
In what is maybe a shocking and irritating irony for these trying to make wholesome selections, Bakovic expands, many ultra-processed meals masquerade as well being meals. Examples of ultra-processed meals aren’t simply beef jerky and Doritos — even meals that appear innocuous can have damaging well being results.
“Breakfast cereals are a giant one and are sometimes promoted as being nutritious,” she says, “however many include excessive quantities of added sugars, even when they’re labeled as being ‘whole-grain.’”
Fruit-flavored snacks and drinks are additionally on the record of worst offenders. They usually have labels suggesting they’re produced from actual fruit, however embrace synthetic fruit flavors, sweeteners, and colours as an alternative. Equally, protein and power bars are regularly marketed as ‘wholesome’ or ‘high-protein,’ however some are full of added sugars, unhealthy fat, and synthetic components.
A Tie Between UPFs and Weight problems
The hyperlink between UPFs and weight problems isn’t a brand new discovery. A analysis overview revealed in July in Nature Opinions Endocrinology summarized the present literature, which researchers wrote “strongly helps and corroborates” the concept that a food plan excessive in ultra-processed meals promotes overeating and will increase the danger of weight problems6. However this new research is the primary to indicate causality between decreasing consumption of UPFs and weight reduction.
“Most research linking ultra-processed meals and well being adjustments are cross-sectional, that means they take a look at knowledge from a inhabitants (reminiscent of nutrient and calorie consumption from meals logs) at a particular time limit,” explains Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS, Chief Registered Dietitian at Dwell it Up. “These research are additionally observational, that means the researchers don’t intervene within the inhabitants’s behaviors. Due to this, most of these research aren’t good for determining cause-and-effect relationships (causality), and might actually solely pinpoint associations.”
The First Research to Present Causality
This new research’s managed nature was capable of conclusively show that consuming fewer ultra-processed meals straight contributes to weight reduction. Contributors adopted two totally different diets, one made up of minimally-processed entire meals like pasta, rooster, fruits, and greens, and the opposite of ultra-processed meals like frozen meals, protein bars, and shakes. Contributors following the minimally-processed food plan misplaced twice as a lot weight.
The 55 research individuals have been primarily girls, all of whom have been obese or overweight earlier than the research and who acquired a mean of about two-thirds of their energy from UPFs earlier than the research. One group of individuals adopted the minimally-processed food plan for 2 months, returned to their regular diets for one month, after which adopted the ultra-processed food plan for 2 months. The opposite group adopted the diets within the reverse order. Regardless of which food plan they have been following, they might eat no matter amount of meals they appreciated.
The outcomes have been plain. Whereas most individuals misplaced weight on each diets, on common, they misplaced about 4 kilos on the minimally-processed food plan and two kilos on the ultra-processed food plan.
Even Excessive-High quality UPFs are Problematic
One main takeaway from this research was across the high quality of the UPFs. Each diets met U.Okay. diet pointers, together with really useful quantities of vitamins, fiber, and produce. Plus, the UPFs chosen for the processed meals food plan have been marketed as more healthy choices, like entire grain breakfast cereals and flavored yogurt. This exhibits that even “better-for-you” UPFs is usually a detriment to weight management.
This isn’t shocking to specialists, who cite a number of the reason why even seemingly wholesome ultra-processed meals can contribute to weight achieve. “UPFs are power dense, that means they pack extra energy per gram than most minimally processed meals,” explains Gargano. “Since our abdomen is aware of quantity, not energy, now we have to eat a specific amount to really feel happy. So to really feel ‘full,’ you must eat loads of UPFs — which implies extra energy typically.”
She provides the instance of broccoli versus cheddar fish crackers. “Let’s say that we’re full after consuming 3 cups of meals,” she says. “Meaning we’re the identical ‘fullness’ whether or not we eat 3 cups of cheddar fish crackers or 3 cups of broccoli. However 3 cups of cooked broccoli is about 150 energy whereas 3 cups of cheddar fish crackers is about 900 energy. Broccoli is nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense; full of fiber, water, and micronutrients. You refill on its quantity with out overdoing it with energy.”
Bakovic agrees. “The nutrient distribution (or lack thereof) in these meals could make it comparatively simple for some people to devour them with out experiencing a sense of fullness. In different phrases, they’re sort of a supply of comparatively empty energy.”
UPFs and Overeating
Another excuse why it’s simple to overeat ultra-processed meals is kind of just because they’re designed for it. “They’re exactly engineered to style good and developed to make it simpler for us to overeat them,” explains Gargano7. “The components current in ultra-processed meals can create a really palatable style profile,” Bakovic provides, “which may affect overeating.”
Certainly, the individuals reported feeling like that they had higher management of meals cravings on the minimally-processed food plan, one thing that stunned lead creator Dr. Samuel Dicken, a analysis fellow at College School London. “When folks shed pounds,” he instructed the New York Occasions, “they have a tendency to need to eat extra.”8 Higher management of cravings might result in sustained weight reduction over time.
Attempt Sticking to an 80/20 Food plan
So given this new research, what’s one of the simplest ways to proceed? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. For the healthiest food plan, give attention to entire meals every time doable — however depart your self a bit of room for aware indulgence. If it lets you goal for a goal or have a little bit of construction, attempt making use of the 80/20 rule. Make it a purpose to stay to a complete, unprocessed meals food plan 80% of the time, after which permit your self to get pleasure from not-so-healthy treats for the opposite 20%.
“Extremely-processed meals can actually be scrumptious and slicing them out fully is probably not an possibility for everybody,” says Gargano. “Quite than stressing about each little element, crucial factor we will do is attempt to preserve UPFs to lower than 20% of what we eat in a day. This manner we’re filling our our bodies with the macro- and micro-nutrients we want for our well being, however we’re additionally taking the chance to get pleasure from life and luxuriate in consuming by retaining a small quantity in our food plan. Stability is the last word purpose.”
Sources:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323013820
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37087831/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03842-0
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-025-01143-7
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/merchandise/databriefs/db536.htm
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-025-01143-7
- https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(19)30248-7
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/properly/eat/avoiding-ultraprocessed-foods-might-double-weight-loss.html
