The exact amount of ultra-processed food that raises your risk of heart disease and cancer

You’ve likely gotten wind by this point that eating ultraprocessed foods—which have been linked to issues including cancer and cardiovascular disease—is not the best way to try living a long, healthy life.

Now comes news that the amount of processed foods you consume can be linked to poor health outcomes in a measurable, incremental way.

That’s according to a systematic review being presented this week at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific meeting in Singapore, which found that the risk for hypertension, other cardiovascular events, cancer, digestive diseases, mortality, and more increased with every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of ultraprocessed foods consumed daily.

“Ultraprocessed foods are characterized by high sugar, high salt, and other non-nutritive components, exhibiting low nutritional density yet high caloric content,” said Dr. Xiao Liu, with the department of cardiology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, in a news release.

“These products may contribute to adverse health outcomes through multiple mechanisms,” Liu continued, “including but not limited to dysregulation of blood lipid profiles, alterations in gut microbiota composition, promotion of obesity, induction of systemic inflammation, exacerbation of oxidative stress, and impairment of insulin sensitivity.”

The research was based on 41 global cohort studies—involving a total of 8,286,940 adult patients—that examined the association between ultraprocessed foods and health outcomes prior to April 2024.

According to the researchers, common examples of ultraprocessed foods include commercially produced breads, sugar-sweetened beverages, potato chips, cookies, candy, packaged cookies, and other items containing preservatives, added colors, and flavor enhancers.

Each additional 3.5 ounces a day of ultraprocessed food consumption—examples of which would be a large packaged cookie or a snack-size bag of potato chips—was associated with a 14.5% higher risk of hypertension, 5.9% increased risk of cardiovascular events, 1.2% increased risk of cancer, 19.5% higher risk of digestive diseases, and 2.6% higher risk of all-cause mortality. Researchers also observed increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndromes, diabetes, and mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety.

It’s why doctors should be explaining to patients that ultraprocessed foods “are typically high in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats, while being low in fiber, essential vitamins, and other protective nutrients,” said Liu, all of which contributes to adverse health outcomes.

The researchers recommend stringent food labeling regulations about risks on highly processed foods, and that consumers embrace whole foods, simple ingredients, and diets such as the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet, both known for supporting heart health.

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How much ultraprocessed food is too much? The exact amount that raises your risk of heart disease and cancer