Journal of Angiotherapy
Integrative Biomedical Research (Journal of Angiotherapy) | Online ISSN  3068-6326
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. Journals
  4. Biological Sciences
Journal of Angiotherapy

Volume 8 Number 8 2024

Article Contents

REVIEWS   (Open Access)
Contents Vol 8 (8)

The Global Public Health Consequences of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Epidemiological Evidence, Mechanisms, and Policy Interventions

Masoud Aedh Alqahtani 1*, Ali Mushabbab Alshahrani 1, Ahmed Mohammed Haqawi 1, Waleed Abdullah Alghamdi 1, Abdullah Ali Bin Jabr 1, Abdullah Mohammed Ghaythan Alqarni 1, Khalid Nasser K Alqahtani 1, Ghadyan Salem Alshammari 1, Muteb Freeh Saleman Alshammari 1, Moteb Rshid Aswi Alshamarimo 1, Sultan Faris Rasheed Alshammari 1, Sharif Owaidh T. Almutairi 1, Hamad Khalid Saleh Alfunayyikh 1, Tareq Ali Suliman Alsalloom 1, Abdulmalik Hmoud Alsuwayh 1, Khaled Mesfer B Alsubaie 1

+ Author Affiliations

Journal of Angiotherapy 8 (8) 1-9 https://doi.org/10.25163/angiotherapy.8810394

Submitted: 05 April 2026 Revised: 15 August 2024  Published: 17 August 2024 

Abstract

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with their industrial compositions that include additives like sugars and emulsifiers, dominate modern diets and underlie the worldwide rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and diabetes. Their widespread availability and low nutritional density make them a significant public health issue.

Aim: The health impacts of UPF consumption are evaluated in this review, their underlying mechanisms explored, and policy interventions proposed to prevent their burden.

Methods: From Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, a narrative review was conducted based on epidemiological evidence, clinical trials, and meta-analyses linking UPFs with health outcomes.

Results: Excessive UPF consumption is associated with a 26% increased risk of obesity (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.10–1.45), 35% greater risk of CVD (RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.18–1.54), 30% increased risk of diabetes (HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.15–1.47), and 14% increased all-cause mortality (HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08–1.20). Mechanisms include high energy density, gut microbiota disruption, and hyperpalatability. Socioeconomic status deteriorates consumption in vulnerable populations.

Conclusion: UPFs significantly influence NCDs, calling for the deployment of urgent regulatory, educational, and environmental interventions to reduce consumption and promote health equity.

Keywords: Ultra-processed foods, non-communicable diseases, obesity, public health, nutrition policy.

References

Afshin, A., Sur, P. J., Fay, K. A., Cornaby, L., Ferrara, G., Salama, J. S., ... & Murray, C. J. (2019). Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The lancet, 393(10184), 1958-1972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8

Baker, P., Machado, P., Santos, T., Sievert, K., Backholer, K., Hadjikakou, M., ... & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers. Obesity Reviews, 21(12), e13126. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13126

Baraldi, L. G., Steele, E. M., Canella, D. S., & Monteiro, C. A. (2018). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and associated sociodemographic factors in the USA between 2007 and 2012: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 8(3), e020574. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020574

Baraldi, L. G., Steele, E. M., Louzada, M. L. C., & Monteiro, C. A. (2021). Associations between ultraprocessed food consumption and total water intake in the US population. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(9), 1695-1703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.02.011

Bleiweiss-Sande, R., Goldberg, J., Evans, E. W., Chui, K., & Sacheck, J. (2020). Perceptions of processed foods among low-income and immigrant parents. Health Education & Behavior, 47(1), 101-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119885419

Canella, D. S., Louzada, M. L. D. C., Claro, R. M., Costa, J. C., Bandoni, D. H., Levy, R. B., & Martins, A. P. B. (2018). Consumption of vegetables and their relation with ultra-processed foods in Brazil. Revista de saude publica, 52, 50. https://doi.org/10.11606/S1518-8787.2018052000111

Canhada, S. L., Luft, V. C., Giatti, L., Duncan, B. B., Chor, D., da Fonseca, M. D. J. M., ... & Schmidt, M. I. (2020). Ultra-processed foods, incident overweight and obesity, and longitudinal changes in weight and waist circumference: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Public health nutrition, 23(6), 1076-1086. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019002854

Chassaing, B., Koren, O., Goodrich, J. K., Poole, A. C., Srinivasan, S., Ley, R. E., & Gewirtz, A. T. (2015). Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome. Nature, 519(7541), 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14232

Camila Corvalan, M. P. H., & Marcela Reyes, M. D. (2021). Youth's Diets at School After Implementation of Chile's Food Labeling and Advertising Law. Obesity, 29, 194-194.

Colchero, A., Ng, S. W., Guerrero-Lopez, C., Molina, M., Popkin, B. M., & Rivera, J. (2017, January). IMPACT OF MEXICO'S SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX: OVERALL AND ACROSS SUBPOPULATIONS. In ANNALS OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM (Vol. 71, pp. 81-81). ALLSCHWILERSTRASSE 10, CH-4009 BASEL, SWITZERLAND: KARGER.

Delpino, F. M., Figueiredo, L. M., Bielemann, R. M., Da Silva, B. G. C., Dos Santos, F. S., Mintem, G. C., ... & Nunes, B. P. (2022). Ultra-processed food and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. International journal of epidemiology, 51(4), 1120-1141. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab247

de Deus Mendonca, R., Pimenta, A. M., Gea, A., de la Fuente-Arrillaga, C., Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A., Lopes, A. C. S., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2016). Ultraprocessed food consumption and risk of overweight and obesity: the University of Navarra Follow-Up (SUN) cohort study12. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 104(5), 1433-1440. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.116.135004

Elizabeth, L., Machado, P., Zinöcker, M., Baker, P., & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: a narrative review. Nutrients, 12(7), 1955. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071955

Fardet, A., Lakhssassi, S., & Briffaz, A. (2018). Beyond nutrient-based food indices: a data mining approach to search for a quantitative holistic index reflecting the degree of food processing and including physicochemical properties. Food & Function, 9(1), 561-572. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7FO01423F

Fazzino, T. L., Rohde, K., & Sullivan, D. K. (2019). Hyper-palatable foods: development of a quantitative definition and application to the US food system database. Obesity, 27(11), 1761-1768. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22639

Fiolet, T., Srour, B., Sellem, L., Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Méjean, C., ... & Touvier, M. (2018). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. bmj, 360. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k322

Gómez-Donoso, C., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Martínez-González, M. A., Gea, A., Mendonça, R. D. D., Lahortiga-Ramos, F., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2020). Ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of depression in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN Project. European journal of nutrition, 59(3), 1093-1103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-01970-1

Gonçalves, N. G., Ferreira, N. V., Khandpur, N., Steele, E. M., Levy, R. B., Lotufo, P. A., ... & Suemoto, C. K. (2023). Association between consumption of ultraprocessed foods and cognitive decline. JAMA neurology, 80(2), 142-150. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4397

Hall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., Cai, H., Cassimatis, T., Chen, K. Y., ... & Zhou, M. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell metabolism, 30(1), 67-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008

Harriden, B., D’Cunha, N. M., Kellett, J., Isbel, S., Panagiotakos, D. B., & Naumovski, N. (2022). Are dietary patterns becoming more processed? The effects of different dietary patterns on cognition: A review. Nutrition and Health, 28(3), 341-356. https://doi.org/10.1177/02601060221094129

Hecht, E. M., Rabil, A., Steele, E. M., Abrams, G. A., Ware, D., Landy, D. C., & Hennekens, C. H. (2022). Cross-sectional examination of ultra-processed food consumption and adverse mental health symptoms. Public health nutrition, 25(11), 3225-3234. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001586

Holdsworth, M., Kimenju, S., Hallen, G., Laar, A., & Oti, S. O. (2023). Review of policy action for healthy environmentally sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 65, 101376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101376

Juul, F. (2020). Consumption of Processed Food and Its Associations with Diet Quality and Cardiovascular Disease in US Populations (Doctoral dissertation, New York University College of Global Public Health).

Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Brunin, J., Fouillet, H., Dussiot, A., Berthy, F., ... & Touvier, M. (2023). Environmental impacts along the value chain from the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Nature Sustainability, 6(2), 192-202. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01013-4

Kim, H., Hu, E. A., & Rebholz, C. M. (2019). Ultra-processed food intake and mortality in the USA: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–1994). Public health nutrition, 22(10), 1777-1785. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003890

Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Travica, N., Dissanayaka, T., Ashtree, D. N., Gauci, S., ... & Marx, W. (2022). Ultra-processed food consumption and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutrients, 14(13), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132568

Levy, R. B., Rauber, F., Chang, K., Louzada, M. L. D. C., Monteiro, C. A., Millett, C., & Vamos, E. P. (2021). Ultra-processed food consumption and type 2 diabetes incidence: a prospective cohort study. Clinical Nutrition, 40(5), 3608-3614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.12.018

Livingston, A. S., Cudhea, F., Wang, L., Steele, E. M., Du, M., Wang, Y. C., ... & Zhang, F. F. (2021). Effect of reducing ultraprocessed food consumption on obesity among US children and adolescents aged 7–18 years: evidence from a simulation model. BMJ nutrition, prevention & health, 4(2), 397. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000303

Machado, P. P., Steele, E. M., Levy, R. B., da Costa Louzada, M. L., Rangan, A., Woods, J., ... & Monteiro, C. A. (2020). Ultra-processed food consumption and obesity in the Australian adult population. Nutrition & diabetes, 10(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41387-020-00141-0

Mialon, M., Perez, E., Corvalan, C., Monteiro, C., Jaime, P., & Baeza Scagliusi, F. (2020). Food industry influence on public health policy, research and practice in Latin America. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5), ckaa165-321. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.321

Moodie, R., Bennett, E., Kwong, E. J. L., Santos, T. M., Pratiwi, L., Williams, J., & Baker, P. (2021). Ultra-processed profits: the political economy of countering the global spread of ultra-processed foods–a synthesis review on the market and political practices of transnational food corporations and strategic public health responses. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 10(12), 968. https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2021.45

Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L., Rauber, F., ... & Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public health nutrition, 22(5), 936-941. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003762

Nardocci, M., Polsky, J. Y., & Moubarac, J. C. (2021). Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with obesity, diabetes and hypertension in Canadian adults. Canadian journal of public health, 112(3), 421-429. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00429-9

Pagliai, G., Dinu, M., Madarena, M. P., Bonaccio, M., Iacoviello, L., & Sofi, F. (2021). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British journal of nutrition, 125(3), 308-318. doi:10.1017/S0007114520002688

Pan, F., Wang, Z., Wang, H., Zhang, J., Su, C., Jia, X., ... & Ding, G. (2023). Association between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome among Adults in China—Results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Nutrients, 15(3), 752. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030752

Popkin, B. M., Barquera, S., Corvalan, C., Hofman, K. J., Monteiro, C., Ng, S. W., ... & Taillie, L. S. (2021). Towards unified and impactful policies to reduce ultra-processed food consumption and promote healthier eating. The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology, 9(7), 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00078-4

Poti, J. M., Braga, B., & Qin, B. (2017). Ultra-processed food intake and obesity: what really matters for health—processing or nutrient content?. Current obesity reports, 6(4), 420-431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-017-0285-4

Rico-Campà, A., Martínez-González, M. A., Alvarez-Alvarez, I., de Deus Mendonça, R., De La Fuente-Arrillaga, C., Gómez-Donoso, C., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2019). Association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and all cause mortality: SUN prospective cohort study. bmj, 365. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l1949

Schulte, E. M., Avena, N. M., & Gearhardt, A. N. (2015). Which foods may be addictive? The roles of processing, fat content, and glycemic load. PloS one, 10(2), e0117959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117959

Srour, B., Fezeu, L. K., Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Méjean, C., Andrianasolo, R. M., ... & Touvier, M. (2019). Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé). bmj, 365. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l1451

Srour, B., Fezeu, L. K., Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Debras, C., Druesne-Pecollo, N., ... & Touvier, M. (2020). Ultraprocessed food consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes among participants of the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. JAMA internal medicine, 180(2), 283-291. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.5942

Suez, J., Cohen, Y., Valdés-Mas, R., Mor, U., Dori-Bachash, M., Federici, S., ... & Elinav, E. (2022). Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance. Cell, 185(18), 3307-3328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.016

Swinburn, B. A., Kraak, V. I., Allender, S., Atkins, V. J., Baker, P. I., Bogard, J. R., ... & Dietz, W. H. (2019). The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change: the Lancet Commission report. The lancet, 393(10173), 791-846. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32822-8

Touvier, M., da Costa Louzada, M. L., Mozaffarian, D., Baker, P., Juul, F., & Srour, B. (2023). Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait. Bmj, 383. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-075294

Zinöcker, M. K., & Lindseth, I. A. (2018). The western diet–microbiome-host interaction and its role in metabolic disease. Nutrients, 10(3), 365. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10030365


View Dimensions


View Plumx


View Altmetric



1
Save
0
Citation
226
View
1
Share

Stay connected