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Research papers on Ultra-processed foods and health

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  1. Energy contribution of NOVA food groups and sociodemographic determinants of ultra-processed food consumption in the Mexican population

    Joaquín A Marrón-Ponce, Tania G Sánchez-Pimienta, Maria Laura da Costa Louzada, et al. · 2018 · Public Health Nutrition · 197 citations

    Objective: To identify the energy contributions of NOVA food groups in the Mexican diet and the associations between individual sociodemographic characteristics and the energy contribution of ultra-processed foods (UPF). Design: We classified foods and beverages reported in a 24 h recall according to the NOVA food framework into: (i) unprocessed or minimally processed foods; (ii) processed culinary ingredients; (iii) processed foods; and (iv) UPF. We estimated the energy contribution of each food group and ran a multiple linear regression to identify the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and UPF energy contribution. Setting: Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 20

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  2. Ultra-processed food consumption and human health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses

    J. Barbaresko, Janine Bröder, Johanna Conrad, et al. · 2024 · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · 52 citations

    Abstract Recently, ultra-processed foods received a lot of attention, but also criticism. Our aim was to provide an overview of the existing evidence of ultra-processed food consumption on human health. We conducted a systematic search in four databases until January 5th, 2024. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses on ultra-processed food consumption as defined by the NOVA classification system were included. The certainty of evidence was evaluated by the GRADE approach. We identified 16 publications. Moderate certainty of evidence was found for all-cause mortality (Summary Risk Ratio per 50 g: 1.02; 95% confidence Interval (CI): 1.01, 1.03), cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality (p

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  3. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Depressive Symptoms in a Mediterranean Cohort

    J. Godos, M. Bonaccio, W. Al-Qahtani, et al. · 2023 · Nutrients · 39 citations

    Excess consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is currently under investigation for its potentially detrimental impact on human health. Current evidence demonstrates a substantial association with an increased risk of metabolic disorders, but data on mental health outcomes are just emerging. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the consumption of UPFs and depressive symptoms in a sample of younger Italian adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 596 individuals (age 18–35 y) recruited in southern Italy. Food frequency questionnaires and the NOVA classification were used to assess dietary factors; the Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depressio

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  5. The Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Chronic Insomnia in the NutriNet-Santé Study

    P. Duquenne, Julia Capperella, L. Fezeu, et al. · 2024 · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · 24 citations

    Background The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is on the rise worldwide, and it has been linked to numerous health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Few studies have focused on the effect of UPF consumption on sleep health and even fewer on chronic insomnia. Objective This study investigated the association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia in a large population-based sample. Design This was a cross-sectional analysis using the NutriNet-Santé study data, an ongoing Web cohort in France. Participants/setting Thirty-eight thousand five hundred seventy adult males and females who had completed a sleep questionnaire (2014) and at least two 24-hour dietary record

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  6. The risk associated with ultra-processed food intake on depressive symptoms and mental health in older adults: a target trial emulation

    Belayneh Mengist, M. Lotfaliany, J. Pasco, et al. · 2025 · BMC Medicine · 22 citations

    Longitudinal cohort studies across the lifespan suggest an association between ultra-processed food (UPF) and depression. However, the effect of UPF on depression and mental health in older adults has not been determined. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of UPF on depressive symptoms and mental health in community-dwelling older adults. A pragmatic target trial was designed and emulated using the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly longitudinal data. Participants were community-dwelling older adults (≥ 70 years) in Australia. We specified and emulated the protocol of a two-arm randomised pragmatic clinical trial using the level of UPF consumption as the intervention. Great

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  7. Ultra-Processed Food Intakes and Health Outcomes in Adults Older Than 60 Years: A Systematic Review

    F. Shahatah, T. R. Hill, A. Fairley, et al. · 2025 · Nutrition Reviews · 15 citations

    Abstract Context Relationships between ultraprocessed food (UPF) intakes and health have been well described in adults, but evidence of these relationships in older adults is rather limited. Demographic shifts in aging emphasize the importance of understanding the role of diet in maintaining health during later life. Objective The aim of this systematic review was to identify health outcomes associated with UPF consumption in those aged ≥60 years. Data Sources The Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched from inception until June 2023, using search terms representing UPF and any health outcome. Observational studies restricted to individuals aged ≥60 years using th

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  8. Exposure to ultra-processed food and risk of cardiovascular mortality: a prospective cohort study.

    Sarah Gauci, M. Lotfaliany, P. Machado, et al. · 2025 · European journal of preventive cardiology · 13 citations

    AIMS There has been a global shift from nutrient-dense diets to an ultra-processed food pattern, which is linked to adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular mortality. However, there is limited evidence in an Australian setting. Furthermore, many people in Australia have emigrated from countries with heart-healthy diets. This study explored the association between ultra-processed food exposure and cardiovascular mortality in an Australian cohort. METHOD AND RESULTS Data were derived from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Food frequency questionnaire data collected at baseline were used to estimate ultra-processed food consumption according to the Nova classification system

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  9. Ten-year trajectories of ultra-processed food intake and prospective associations with cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality: findings from the Whitehall II cohort study

    Meng-Mei E. Wang, C. LIewellyn, M. Katsoulis, et al. · 2025 · Nutrition Journal · 11 citations

    Ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has been associated with adverse health outcomes; however, research on UPF intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prognosis has largely neglected its longitudinal pattern over time. This study investigated trajectories of UPF intake over a decade and their prospective associations with the risk of fatal and non-fatal CVD, as well as all-cause mortality, using data spanning from 16 to 19 years. This study utilized data from the British Whitehall II cohort study, including 7,138 participants (68.3% male; median baseline age 60.4 years), all free of CVD at baseline. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 127-item food frequency questionnaire at three ti

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  10. Ultra-processed food consumption and cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian health measures survey

    Angelina Baric, Vasanti S. Malik, Anthea K. Christoforou · 2025 · Nutrition & Metabolism · 10 citations

    Ultra-processed food (UPF) contributes to nearly 50% of Canadians’ diets. Research in other countries has begun to implicate high intakes of UPFs and negative health outcomes, including body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, and unfavourable lipid profiles. There have been no population level examinations of the relationship between UPF consumption and cardiometabolic risk in Canada. Drawing on the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2016/17 and 2018/19), this study investigates the relationship between UPF consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors among Canadians (ages 19–79, n = 6517). Dietary data collected by Food Frequency Questionnaire was classified as UPF or not using

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  11. Food consumption by NOVA food classification, metabolic outcomes, and barriers to healthy food consumption among university students

    Elizabeth Sekyi, Nana Ama Frimpomaa Agyapong, Guy Eshun · 2024 · Food Science & Nutrition · 10 citations

    The NOVA food classification system is a simple tool that can be used to assess the consumption levels of different categories of foods based on their level of processing. The degree to which food is processed has a significant impact on health outcomes. In Ghana, no study exists on the consumption of the different NOVA food groups among tertiary students and how it relates to their metabolic outcomes. This study assessed the frequency of food intake according to the NOVA classification and how they relate to body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. The barriers to the consumption of healthy foods among students were also assessed. This was a cross‐sectional study conducted

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  12. Food Allergens in Ultra-Processed Foods According to the NOVA Classification System: A Greek Branded Food Level Analysis

    Alexandra Katidi, Stefania Xanthopoulou, Antonis Vlassopoulos, et al. · 2023 · Nutrients · 10 citations

    Ultra-processed foods’ (UPFs’) consumption has been positively linked to the presence of allergic symptoms, but it is yet unknown whether this is linked to their nutritional composition or allergen load. This study used the ingredient lists available in the Greek Branded Food Composition Database, HelTH, to classify foods (n = 4587) into four grades of food processing (NOVA1–4) according to the NOVA System. Associations between NOVA grades and the presence of allergens (as an ingredient or trace) were studied. Overall, UPFs (NOVA4) were more likely to contain allergens than unprocessed foods, NOVA1 (76.1% vs. 58.0%). However, nested analyses among similar foods showed that in >90% of cases,

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  13. Artificial intelligence applications for assessing ultra-processed food consumption: a scoping review

    Jessica L. Campbell, Grant Schofield, Hannah R. Tiedt, et al. · 2025 · The British Journal of Nutrition · 3 citations

    Abstract Ultra-processed foods (UPF), defined using frameworks such as NOVA, are increasingly linked to adverse health outcomes, driving interest in ways to identify and monitor their consumption. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers potential, yet its application in classifying UPF remains underexamined. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review mapping how AI has been used, focusing on techniques, input data, classification frameworks, accuracy and application. Studies were eligible if peer-reviewed, published in English (2015–2025), and they applied AI approaches to assess or classify UPF using recognised or study-specific frameworks. A systematic search in May 2025 across PubMed,

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  14. “NOVA Tracker”: Statistical validation of the “NOVA Tracker” as an instrument that captures ultra-processed food consumption

    Philippe Belmont, Wilma B. Freire · 2023 · Bitácora Académica · 3 citations

    In Ecuador, overweight and obesity (ow/ob) reach alarmingly high levels of prevalence in adult and adolescent population. Sedentary habits, loss of dietary diversity and consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) are among the identified factorsthat increase the prevalence of ow/ob, which are part of a phenomenon identified as nutritional transition. The development of the agro-industrial sector, along with the urban lifestyle, contributes to a shift in eating patterns, increasing the risks ofchronic non-communicable diseases. This transition occurs when “traditional” diets are replaced with fewer basic foods and greater UPF consumption.

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  15. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: An Exploration of Social Determinants Among Black Children of African and Caribbean Descent in Ottawa.

    Valérie Levacher, Malek Batal, Isabelle Giroux, et al. · 2025 · Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme · 2 citations

    Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is a growing concern due to its negative impact on diet quality and health outcomes. To our knowledge, no data on UPF consumption are available for specific racial/ethnic children, including Black children, in Canada. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the social determinants of UPF consumption among Black children of African and Caribbean descent in Ottawa. It included 174 mothers born in the Caribbean or Sub-Saharan Africa and their children aged 6 to 12. A survey was administered to assess demographic and socio-economic characteristics of mothers, children and households. Children's dietary intakes were evaluated with a 24-hour dietary r

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  16. Low polyphenol content is on the pathway between ultra-processed food consumption and low-grade inflammation: cross-sectional analyses from the Moli-sani Study.

    E. Ruggiero, A. Di Castelnuovo, S. Costanzo, et al. · 2026 · Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD · 2 citations

    BACKGROUND AND AIMS Low-grade inflammation is one of the potential mechanisms linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to poor health outcomes. Besides having low nutritional composition, UPFs also lack bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols. We tested the hypothesis that low polyphenol content could be on the pathway of previously documented associations between UPFs and low-grade inflammation. METHODS AND RESULTS Data were from 22,169 men and women (mean age 55.4y ±11.7) of the Moli-sani Study (2005-2010). Total polyphenol intake was estimated by matching food consumption with the Phenol-Explorer database and UPF was defined according to the Nova classification. Low-grade inflammation was

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  18. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among Caregivers and Children in the “Happy Smile” Project: Associations with Family Dietary Patterns and Periodontal Health-Related Quality of Life

    Vitor Hugo Gonçalves Sampaio, G. Silva, A. R. Araújo, et al. · 2026 · Nutrients · 1 citations

    Background/Objectives: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased markedly in recent decades and has been associated with adverse health outcomes. In childhood, the family environment plays a central role in shaping dietary habits and oral health behaviors. This study investigated the association between UPF consumption by caregivers and children, its relationship with caregivers’ periodontal health-related quality of life, and described children’s dietary practices and oral hygiene habits. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with caregivers of children participating in the Happy Smile Project in Birigui, São Paulo, Brazil. UPF consumption was assessed using

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  20. The association between ultra-processed food consumption and adiposity indexes in adults living in Tehran: a dose-response analysis within a cross-sectional study

    Mahsa Ranjbar, Neda Asgari Avini, S. Shab-Bidar · 2025 · BMC Public Health

    Ultra-process foods (UPF) were suspected to induce many diseases and threaten consumers’ health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the consumption of highly processed foods and adiposity indexes in Tehranian adults. In a cross-sectional design, 850 Tehranian adults were included. NOVA classification was used to assess the intake of UPF in participants. The amount of calorie intake through processed foods was assessed. Adiposity indexes outcomes include body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), body roundness index (BRI), and body adiposity index (BAI). Lipid accumulation

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  21. Association of ultra-processed food consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: population-based cohort study

    Ya-Dong Li, Le-Lan Gong, Yuan-bin Jiang, et al. · 2026 · Frontiers in Nutrition

    Background Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked to adverse health effects, yet findings from prospective cohort studies on mortality remain inconsistent. Methods This study included 82,221 participants from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. At baseline (1993–2001), dietary intake was assessed using the Baseline Questionnaire (BQ) and validated Dietary History Questionnaire (DHQ). UPF intake was defined according to the NOVA classification system. Daily food intake (g/day) was estimated from reported frequency and portion size, and energy and nutrient intakes were computed using the DietCalc analysis program. Mortality outcomes, includ

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  22. Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of infertility in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Yan-Zhong Feng, Hui Miao, Na Li · 2026 · Frontiers in Public Health

    Background Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been linked to multiple adverse health outcomes; however, their association with infertility remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between UPF consumption and infertility risk in adults. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to May 31, 2026. Eligible studies assessed UPF intake using validated dietary assessment tools based on the NOVA classification and reported infertility outcomes among adults aged ≥18 years. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the Joann

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  23. Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Frailty in Korean Older Adults

    Hyewon Lee, Kyong Park · 2026 · Nutrients

    Background/Objectives: Population aging is accelerating worldwide, and frailty has emerged as an important health concern among older adults. Although ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, evidence on its relationship with frailty among Korean older adults remains limited. This study examined the cross-sectional association between the proportion of total energy intake derived from UPFs and frailty among Korean adults aged 65 years or older. Methods: We analyzed data from 9861 adults aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2014–2019, 2022, and 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles, in which the variable

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  24. Impact of ultra-processed food consumption on quality of life of menopausal women

    J. Arora, M. Sood, Nisar Ahmed · 2026 · International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology

    Background: Menopause is linked with many psychological, physical, and social changes that may profoundly impact the quality of life of women. The dietary patterns, especially the trend of rising consumption of ultra-processed foods, have been proposed to influence health outcomes, although their effect on menopausal quality of life remains underexplored. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, survey-based research among 56 women aged 40 years and above residing in Punjab, north India. The study was conducted at the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, over a period of 4 months (September 2025-December 2025). A food frequency questionnaire was used to measure the UPF intake based on the

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