High intake of animal protein and ultra-processed foods is associated with increased systemic inflammation, which contributes to the development of autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease.

Study: Plant-Based Diets, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Risks of Mortality and Major Chronic Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study

People who eat a lot of junk food and processed stuff, even if it's plant-based, get sicker more often — but eating healthy plants (even if processed) helps prevent disease. This suggests that bad diets, often high in processed foods and animal products, cause more health problems.

Study: Associations of ultra-processed food intake with maternal weight change and cardiometabolic health and infant growth

This study found that pregnant women who ate more ultra-processed foods like chips and soda had higher levels of a body inflammation marker, even if they ate the same number of calories as others. This supports the idea that these foods may cause more inflammation, which is linked to heart disease and autoimmune problems.

Study: Ultra-processed foods sourced 7-ketositosterol aggravates colitis through gut dysbiosis induced-PDLIM3 activation

This study found that a chemical found in fried, ultra-processed foods makes gut inflammation worse by triggering a chain reaction in the body that causes more inflammation. This supports the idea that eating lots of these foods can lead to more inflammation, which is linked to diseases like autoimmune disorders and heart disease.

Study: Impact of weight loss and reduction of ultra-processed foods on liver fat content in MASLD: a randomized controlled trial.

This study found that eating fewer ultra-processed foods helped people’s livers get healthier, no matter what diet they followed. This supports the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad for your body’s overall health, even if the study didn’t measure inflammation directly.