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Published on: January 12, 2020
National Institutes of Health-Supported Research on Ultraprocessed Foods
Bramaramba J Kowtha1, Liberty Walton1, Tanya Agurs-Collins2
1Office of Disease Prevention, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
JAMA Network Open
|June 12, 2026
Summary
National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for ultraprocessed food (UPF) research has significantly increased, yet gaps remain in understanding food environments and disease mechanisms. More intervention studies are needed to address UPF
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Biomedical Research
Background:
- Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are increasingly linked to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer, posing a significant public health burden in the US.
- These diet-related chronic diseases result in over 1 million deaths annually and incur over $1.1 trillion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
- Growing evidence necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the health impacts of UPFs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically characterize the research portfolio on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- To identify trends in UPF research focus, study designs, and funding over time.
- To pinpoint research gaps in the study of UPFs and their health implications.
Main Methods:
- NIH-supported research projects awarded between fiscal years 2016 and 2025 were identified using iSearch.
- A total of 520 projects were initially identified, with 81 selected for their specific focus on UPFs after manual review.
- Projects were coded for study design, health conditions studied, UPF-specific topics, and funding levels, with data analysis conducted using descriptive statistics.
Main Results:
- Eighty-one NIH-supported UPF-specific research projects were identified between FY2016 and FY2025.
- Funding for UPF research increased from $3.3 million in FY2016 to $12 million in FY2025, with project numbers rising from 8 to 22.
- Most research focused on obesity (58 projects), with fewer interventional studies (29 projects) and limited exploration of food environments.
Conclusions:
- NIH support for UPF research has substantially increased, indicating growing scientific interest.
- Significant research gaps exist in understanding the role of food environments and in mechanistic studies elucidating causal pathways.
- Further research is needed on interventions addressing food access, insecurity, and validated biomarkers for UPF exposure and related diseases.
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