Ultra-Processed Foods and Cardiometabolic Health: A Review of Current Evidence

Non-communicable diseases have become a greater global burden in recent years. An unhealthy diet is one of the primary behavioral factors that have been associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have emerged as a predominant element of modern diets, prompting much concern regarding their effects on cardiometabolic health. This review aimed to examine the association UPF consumption and cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, by integrating results from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, meta-analyses, and mechanistic research.

The cost-effectiveness, prolonged shelf life, palatability, convenience, and marketing strategies of UPFs contribute to their overconsumption, substituting nutrient-rich meals with energy-dense, high-fat, high-sugar, and low-fiber alternatives. These dietary shifts disturb metabolic regulation, promote weight gain, and elevate the risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. High consumption of UPFs has been consistently associated with greater obesity rates and a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases. Moreover, regular or over-consumption is associated with systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which intensify the mechanisms contributing to cardiometabolic risk. The increasing body of evidence that establishes a correlation between the consumption of UPFs and cardiometabolic diseases emphasizes the pressing necessity of public health interventions to encourage healthier dietary habits and alleviate the global burden of non-communicable diseases.