Why junk food might make you sicker as you age
Ultra-processed foods and cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome: A review of recent evidence.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Eating lots of processed foods like chips, sodas, and frozen meals may cause blood sugar spikes and inflammation, which can lead to heart, kidney, and diabetes problems — especially in older people or those already sick.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one ultra-processed item per day for a whole food — e.g., replace sugary cereal with oatmeal and fruit.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Eating lots of processed foods like chips, sodas, and frozen meals may cause blood sugar spikes and inflammation, which can lead to heart, kidney, and diabetes problems — especially in older people or those already sick.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one ultra-processed item per day for a whole food — e.g., replace sugary cereal with oatmeal and fruit.
Publication
Journal
European journal of internal medicine
Year
2025
Authors
Mehmet Kanbay, Laşin Ozbek, Mustafa Guldan, S. Abdel-Rahman, Arif E. Narin, Alberto Ortiz
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating lots of ultra-processed foods is linked to having several chronic diseases at once, feeling weaker, living with less quality of life, and having long-lasting body damage — especially in older people.
The standard American diet is characterized by high intake of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars, leading to increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and chronic inflammation.
Eating a lot of highly processed foods like chips, sugary snacks, and frozen meals is linked to a higher chance of developing heart, kidney, and metabolism problems, and even dying sooner.
Foods like white bread, soda, and packaged snacks cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, which can mess up your body’s ability to manage energy and insulin over time.
People who already have kidney problems or are older are more likely to be harmed by eating ultra-processed foods than healthy younger people.