The Study
Higher Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Is Associated with Greater High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Concentration in Adults: Cross-Sectional Results from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study
This study found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods (like chips, soda, and packaged snacks) tended to have higher levels of a body chemical linked to inflammation. But it didn't prove that the food caused the inflammation—it just showed they happened together.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what people ate and measured a marker in their blood that shows if their body is quietly inflamed.
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 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This level of inflammation is linked to higher risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, so even small daily increases in processed food may matter over time.
- 2For every 100 grams more of packaged foods (like chips, soda, or frozen meals) eaten daily, the inflammation marker went up by 4%.
- 3Even after accounting for weight, it still went up by 2.5%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2022
Authors
M. Lane, M. Lotfaliany, M. Forbes, A. Loughman, T. Rocks, A. O’Neil, P. Machado, F. Jacka, A. Hodge, W. Marx
Related Content
Claims (6)
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 100 more grams of ultra-processed food per day have 2.5% higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, even when accounting for their body weight.
People who eat 100 more grams of ultra-processed food per day have an 8% higher likelihood of having a blood marker for inflammation at a level linked to increased heart disease risk.
In Australian adults, eating 100 more grams of ultra-processed food per day is linked to a 4.0% higher level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker of systemic inflammation, after accounting for age, sex, education, smoking, physical activity, alcohol intake, and body mass index.
Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in both men and women, and the strength of this link does not differ significantly between the sexes, even though men consume more of these foods overall and women show a larger relative increase in the marker.
In Australian adults, ultra-processed foods make up about 40% of daily calorie intake, similar to other Western countries, and this pattern is linked to higher levels of inflammation in the population.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.