[G]iven the prevailing sense of certainty that ultraprocessed foods are a prime culprit in chronic disease, it may surprise you that there is little research-based evidence to back this up — and what evidence there is isn’t exactly robust.
That’s because almost all the evidence comes from observational studies, which can only find associations between two things — they can’t establish cause and effect. …
Mis- and disinformation are distorting science and public policy. Subscribe to our Daily and Weekly Digests for incisive coverage of ‘disruptive’ innovations in AI, agricultural biotechnology, food, chemicals, nuclear energy, vaccines, and other disruptive innovations.
[A] 2024 review involving almost 10 million people found … the only association with convincing, moderate-quality evidence was between ultraprocessed food and Type 2 diabetes risk. The rest of the evidence was low or very low quality.
Recent analyses of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professional Follow-Up Study found that higher ultraprocessed food intake was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes risk in U.S. adults. However, intake of certain ultraprocessed foods — including bread, breakfast cereals, sweetened yogurt, dairy desserts and savory snacks — was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. …
