How much damage are ultraprocessed foods really doing to your health?

Most ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), particularly those commonly seen in U.S. dietary patterns, are high in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium (salt), the combination of which is often abbreviated as HFSS, and contribute to excess calories.

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Examples are sugar-sweetened drinks, ultraprocessed meats, refined grains, candy and commercial baked goods.

A limited number of UPFs, such as certain commercial whole grains, low-fat-low-sugar dairy, and some plant-based items, have positive nutritional value and, therefore, can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern. This overlap is confusing for health care professionals and the public.

A new Science Advisory from the American Heart Association, “Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Health: Evidence, Gaps and Opportunities,” summarizes current knowledge about UPFs and their impact on cardiometabolic health, and outlines opportunities for research, policy and regulatory reform to improve dietary intake and overall health. The manuscript published on August 8 in Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association.

“The relationship between UPFs and health is complex and multifaceted,” said Maya K. Vadiveloo, Ph.D., R.D., FAHA, volunteer chair of the writing group for this Science Advisory. “We know that eating foods with too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt is unhealthy. What we don’t know is if certain ingredients or processing techniques make a food unhealthy above and beyond their poor nutritional composition. And if certain additives and processing steps used to make healthier food like commercial whole grain breads have any health impact.”