One day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing just how prevalent ultraprocessed foods are in the U.S. diet, the American Heart Association published a report linking these foods to poor health.
The report, made public on Friday, indicated that higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods increases the risk for cardiovascular events, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and mortality. It found that high ultraprocessed food intake was associated with a 25% to 58% higher risk of damaging health outcomes.
Additionally, high ultraprocessed food intake led to a 21% to 66% increased risk of mortality.
What are ultraprocessed foods?
Ultraprocessed foods are products that contain multiple ingredients, including additives to enhance shelf life, flavor, appearance, or texture. They generally include ingredients that are not commonly used by home cooks and are mass-produced to be shelf-stable.
However, the relationship between ultraprocessed foods and health is complicated; not all ultraprocessed foods are considered bad for human health. Many of these foods tend to have higher levels of saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium, which can lead to excess calorie intake. Examples include sugar-sweetened drinks, ultraprocessed meats, refined grains, candy, and commercial baked goods.
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The American Heart Association states that some ultraprocessed foods can contain whole grains, low-fat and low-sugar dairy, and some plant-based items, which "have positive nutritional value and, therefore, can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern."
How prevalent are ultraprocessed foods?
On Thursday, the CDC issued a report indicating that over half of the calories consumed by Americans come from ultraprocessed foods. The study found that 62% of calories among youth and 53% of calories consumed by adults are from ultraprocessed foods.
The CDC reported that sandwiches (including burgers), sweet bakery products, savory snacks, and sweetened beverages are among the top sources of calories for both children and adults.
The data also indicated that ultraprocessed foods are a primary source of calories for individuals across all income levels.
The impact ultraprocessed foods have on health
Doctors have long stressed that foods high in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats can lead to poor health outcomes. As these foods are a primary source of calories for many Americans, more individuals are at risk for adverse health effects.
"One of the reasons most of the UPF foods are unhealthy is they actually fall into the categories that health professionals have been concerned about forever," said Dr. Christopher Gardner of the American Heart Association. "Most of them are actually high in saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium, and most of them are low in the nutrients that we wish Americans got more of: more fiber, more vitamins, more minerals. The extra thing they have is these cosmetic additives and these ingredients of rare or no culinary use."
So what's the solution?
This is where science struggles to provide a concrete answer. While it is easy to advise people to switch from eating ultraprocessed foods to fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, experts say many barriers prevent people from consuming these healthier options.
Moreover, as the American Heart Association noted, not all ultraprocessed foods lead to negative health outcomes.
"There are some foods that would technically qualify as ultraprocessed, but they might fit someone's budget, and they might be practical, and they might help you eat other things that would be healthier than the choice you were left with," Gardner said. "There's a few things that are at least reasonably healthy, so it's a little silly to say, 'Let's cut every single one of them out' because it's 60% of the American diet that is ultraprocessed foods, and we actually don't have replacements for them all at this point that are reasonably priced and healthier. So some of them can still fit into a healthy dietary pattern. Most of them do not."
Researchers say more funding is needed to determine to what extent ultraprocessing itself makes ultraprocessed foods unhealthy compared to the fact that these foods often contain unhealthy ingredients.
They also recommend that public health officials introduce strategies to shift eating patterns away from ultraprocessed foods toward more natural options, such as fresh produce, seeds, nuts, and meats.
