The Study
Associations of ultra-processed food consumption, circulating protein biomarkers, and risk of cardiovascular disease
This study watched a big group of people for many years and noticed that those who ate more ultra-processed foods (like chips, soda, and frozen meals) were more likely to get heart problems later. But it didn’t make people change their diets — so we can’t say the food definitely caused the problems, just that they tended to happen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what people ate and whether they got heart problems later, focusing on foods like chips, soda, and frozen meals that are heavily processed.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — replacing just one bag of chips or soda per day with fruit or vegetables could meaningfully lower your heart disease risk over time.
- 2People who ate more ultra-processed foods (like 348g/day on average) had an 18% higher chance of heart disease over 24 years.
- 3Every extra 211g/day (about 1 bag of chips) raised heart disease risk by 7%.
- 4Swapping that amount for fresh food lowered risk by 6–7%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
BMC Medicine
Year
2023
Authors
Huiping Li, Yaogang Wang, E. Sonestedt, Y. Borné
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who eat more ultra-processed foods have higher levels of ten specific biomarkers in their blood that indicate inflammation and blood vessel dysfunction.
People who consume large amounts of animal protein and ultra-processed foods have higher levels of systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease.
People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease over time, with each extra 211 grams per day increasing risk by 7%, even after accounting for other lifestyle and health factors.
People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of their sex, age, body weight, smoking habits, physical activity, or blood pressure status.
In adults, swapping 211 grams of ultra-processed foods daily with the same amount of unprocessed or minimally processed foods is linked to a 6% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 7% lower risk of coronary heart disease, and a 6% lower risk of ischemic stroke.
People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, even when accounting for changes in diet due to illness, inaccurate dietary reporting, or early disease onset.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.