Convenient but Costly: How Ultra-Processed Foods are harming your health.

In our fast-paced world, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a convenient go-to option for many people. From packaged snacks and sweetened beverages to ready-to-eat meals and fast food, UPFs now make up a significant part of diets, especially indeveloped countries. While they offer ease and long shelf life, more and more studies are showing their serious health risks.

What are UPFs?

UPFs are foods that are manufactured to be convenient. Food is combined with additives like emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourenhancers, and colourings to make them more tasty, cheaper, more convenient and have a longer shelf-life. However the cost of that convenience is these foods are typically high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, salt, and calories, but low in essential nutrientsand fibre.

Unpacking the Science: How Ultra-Processed Foods are Harming your Health

If you’re still on the fence about how harmful ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can be, the growing body of research might just convince you to rethink your next grocery trip.

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis by Lane et al. found strong evidence linking high consumption of UPFs with diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (1). 

Other studies have drawn attention to the possible connection between UPFs and cancers like breast cancer and colorectal cancer (2). And it’s not just that these foods contain more fat, salt or sugar, this meta-analysis by Lian et al. (2023) showed that it is not just the nutritional content, but the presence of certain additives and chemical byproducts from processing or packaging, that could play a role in increasing cancer risk.

An umbrella review by Lv et al. (2024), pulled together findings from multiple systematic reviews and further confirmed that UPFs are linked with an increased risk of various metabolic diseases -think hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance(3). In other words, these highly processed snacks and meals aren’t just bad for you—they could be setting the stage for serious chronic conditions.

Adding to the concern, Shu et al. (2023) conducted a meta-analysis that specifically explored the link between UPFs and metabolic syndrome. This condition, which includes a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels, significantly increases your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes (4).

And it doesn’t stop there. Yuan et al. (2023) took it a step further with a dose-response meta-analysis, which showed that even small increases in UPF intake were linked to higher risk of cardiovascular events and even early death (5). Simply put, the moreUPFs you eat, the greater your chance of experiencing serious heart issues or premature death.

Making the scientific on ultra-processed foods work for you

Despite being widely accessible and aggressively marketed, UPFs can quietly erode health over time. Their convenience comesat a cost that’s often invisible until health problems emerge. Reducing UPF consumption and shifting toward whole, minimally processed foods—like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins—can play a major role in protecting healthand preventing disease.

As consumers, becoming more aware of what’s in our food and making informed dietary choices is crucial. The evidence is clear:while UPFs may save time, they may be slowly costing us our health. Scaling back on UPFs could be one of the most impactful steps you take for your long term health. 

If you want to get advice on what UPFs you may be eating and how you can improve what you’re eating, get started with a free call today.

This post was written by Suja.