Just over half of the average American’s diet is derived from ultra-processed foods, according to Johns Hopkins.
Although these foods are often convenient and delicious, they just aren’t good for us — and that’s aside from the potential weight gain that highly processed diets can lead to.
Ultra-processed foods can affect our brains, organs and aging. Let’s get a little more specific.
What are ‘ultra-processed foods’?
There has yet to be a standardized definition of ultra-processed foods that scientists, academics or the government use, so it can vary from study to study. Still, certain foods are consistently considered as such.
Two recent studies published by the American Academy of Neurology, for example, described ultra-processed foods — aka highly processed foods — as those that have high levels of added sugar, fat and salt, and that are low in protein and fiber. Examples cited in both studies include:
- Soft drinks
- Canned baked beans
- Salty and sugary snacks
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Packaged breads
- Ice cream
- Flavored cereals
Stroke
A study published by the American Academy of Neurology found a connection between highly processed food intake and stroke risk.
Researchers worked with more than 20,000 participants with no prior history of stroke. Over the course of the study — about 11 years — 1,108 of those participants suffered a stroke.
Researchers found that participants with more highly processed foods in their diet were 8% more likely to have a stroke. However, those who ate more unprocessed or minimally processed foods had a 9% decreased stroke risk.
Cognitive impairment
The American Academy of Neurology came to some conclusions about cognitive impairment as well. Researchers worked with more than 14,000 participants in the same study and found that a 10% increase in the amount of highly processed foods someone eats was associated with a 16% higher risk of cognitive impairment.
Conversely, eating more unprocessed or minimally processed foods was linked to a 12% lower risk of cognitive impairment.
A study published in JAMA Neurology supports such findings. Researchers in Brazil tracked more than 10,000 adults between the ages of 35 and 74 for up to a decade.
Those who consumed more than 25% of their calories from highly processed foods had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline than participants who ate the lowest amount of processed foods.
Dementia
In another study published by the American Academy of Neurology, researchers reviewed the medical data of 72,083 people over the age of 55 and without dementia. Researchers followed these participants over the course of a decade, and 518 people were diagnosed with dementia by the end of the study.
Ultimately, they concluded that for every 10% increase in daily intake of highly processed foods, participants had a 25% higher risk of developing dementia.
Fatty thighs (and, in turn, arthritis)
This is the only adverse health risk on our list with a direct relation to fat gain.
A study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America researched more than 600 participants with an average age of 60. Researchers found that highly processed foods are linked to a higher risk of osteoarthritis in the knees.
A diet full of highly processed foods can lead to weight gain in the thighs and — regardless of total caloric intake or exercise — ultimately lead to more pressure on the knee joints, which leads to arthritis.
Ovarian cancer
A study published in The Lancet research journal reviewed the dietary habits of nearly 200,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 69. Researchers concluded that for every 10% increase in highly processed foods in a person’s diet, there was a 2% increased rate of cancer overall and a 19% higher rate of ovarian cancer.
A 10% increase in highly processed food consumption was linked to a 30% increase in ovarian cancer deaths.
Colon cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer after lung cancer, and its prominence may be due to, in part, our diets.
Research published in Gut — a journal of the British Medical Association — concluded that diets high in highly processed foods suppress the immune system and increase inflammation, making it harder for the body to fight off cancer cells.
The chronic inflammation that arises as a result of a high intake of highly processed foods drives tumor growth, the research press release says.
Premature aging
“Biological aging” measures age based on the condition of your body’s cells rather than the length of time you’ve been alive, and researchers say it reflects one’s “true state of health.”
A diet filled with highly processed foods was linked to a “significant acceleration” of biological aging in a study of 22,000 people published by The American Society for Nutrition.
Researchers used dietary data and blood tests to determine that highly processed foods can affect bodily functions like glucose metabolism and the gut microbiota — the trillions of microorganisms that line our gastrointestinal tract.
This is significant as the gut microbiota is an indicator of overall health.
Death
A diet consisting of heavily processed foods is linked to a higher risk of death, regardless of cause, according to a study revealed at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
Researchers reviewed the data of more than 500,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 71 over the span of about 23 years.
Highly processed meat and soft drinks were a couple of the highly processed foods most strongly associated with higher mortality risk, according to the research.
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