Do Ultra-Processed Foods Raise Your Risk of Heart Disease?
Yes. A study of 4,787 U.S. adults found that people who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 47% higher risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those who ate the least. This held true even after researchers accounted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, smoking, and income.
Ultra-processed foods are everywhere in modern diets. Sodas, packaged snacks, frozen meals, and processed meats fall into this category. On average, participants in this study got 26.1% of their total daily calories from these foods. That is roughly one out of every four calories coming from items that have been heavily changed from their original form.
The findings, published in The American Journal of Medicine in May 2026 and released online on 24 January 2026, come from data gathered through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using the most recently published cycle covering 2021 to 2023. This is one of the most respected health surveys in the country. It tracks what Americans eat and how their health compares across the population. The results add to a growing body of evidence that what people eat, and how processed it is, plays a role in heart health.
Dr. Kumar’s Take
I find this study useful because it puts a clear number on the risk. A 47% increase is not a small bump. That is nearly half again the risk of a heart attack or stroke among the heaviest consumers of packaged and processed foods. The sample was a large, random one drawn from a national survey, and the researchers adjusted for other risk factors including smoking and income.
I also think about how common ultra-processed food consumption is. When a quarter of daily calories come from these foods on average, this is a population-wide pattern. The good news is that this is something each person can change. You do not need a prescription or a procedure. You need a shopping list. I tell my patients that the most powerful medicine for the heart may already be in the kitchen, or more accurately, it is what you choose not to bring into the kitchen.
What the Data Show
The researchers sorted participants into quartiles based on the percentage of total daily energy they got from ultra-processed foods, classified using the NOVA system. Those in the highest quartile had a 47% greater risk of cardiovascular disease, defined here as myocardial infarction or stroke, compared to those in the lowest quartile. The adjusted relative risk was 1.47, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.06 to 2.04 and a p value of 0.02. That finding held after adjusting for age, gender, race, ethnicity, poverty-to-income ratio, and cigarette smoking.
Across all participants, ultra-processed foods made up an average of 26.1% of total daily calories. The mean age was 55 years, and 55.9% of participants were women. Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in sodium, added sugars, and fats while being low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Who Is Most at Risk
This study drew a large, random sample of U.S. adults from a national survey, so the findings speak to the general adult population. The elevated risk was seen in those with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods. Anyone who regularly relies on packaged convenience foods, fast food, or sugary drinks may be increasing their cardiovascular risk without realizing it.
The researchers adjusted for poverty-to-income ratio, which tells me income was on their minds as a factor worth accounting for. Ultra-processed foods are often cheaper and more convenient than whole foods, and that creates a real challenge for families with limited access to fresh produce and lean proteins. Addressing this is not just a personal choice but a public health question that involves food policy and affordability.
Important Limitations
This study is observational. It shows a link between ultra-processed food intake and cardiovascular disease, but it cannot prove that one directly causes the other. People who eat more processed foods may also have other habits that contribute to heart problems. The authors themselves call for large-scale randomized trials.
The design also captures intake and disease status from a survey rather than following people forward in time, so the direction of the relationship is not settled by these data. The confidence interval, 1.06 to 2.04, is wide, which means the true size of the effect could be considerably smaller or larger than the central estimate of 47%.
Practical Takeaways
- Check ingredient labels before buying packaged foods, and choose items with shorter ingredient lists that you can actually recognize and pronounce.
- Replace one ultra-processed snack per day with a whole food option like fresh fruit, nuts, or vegetables, since even small swaps can lower your overall intake over time.
- Cook more meals at home using whole ingredients like fresh vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains, which gives you full control over what goes into your food.
- Limit sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and energy drinks, which are a common source of ultra-processed calories.
Related Studies and Research
If you are interested in learning more about protecting your heart, explore these related articles:
- Smoking and Heart Disease: The Life-Saving Benefits of Quitting looks at how stopping smoking dramatically lowers cardiovascular risk.
- Can Meditation Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes? examines the role of stress reduction in heart health.
- Do Statins Really Help Prevent Heart Disease? A Closer Look at the Evidence explores the debate around cholesterol-lowering medication.
- Can L-Carnitine Help Your Heart? Exploring Its Benefits and Risks reviews the evidence on this popular supplement.
FAQs
What exactly counts as an ultra-processed food?
This study used the NOVA classification system, a widely accepted and validated method for sorting foods by how heavily they are processed. Ultra-processed foods are products that have been significantly changed from their natural state through industrial methods. They typically contain ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen, such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, and artificial colors or flavors. Common examples include soft drinks, chips, candy, instant noodles, frozen pizza, and many breakfast cereals. A simple rule of thumb is that if the ingredient list is long and includes items you cannot easily picture, it is likely ultra-processed.
Can I still eat some processed foods without raising my heart disease risk?
Not all processing is the same. Minimally processed foods like canned beans, frozen vegetables, and plain yogurt sit in a different NOVA category from ultra-processed items like sugary cereals and packaged pastries. The key distinction is between foods that are processed for preservation or convenience and foods that are engineered with additives for taste, texture, and shelf life. This study compared people by the share of their daily energy coming from the ultra-processed category. Choosing minimally processed options while cutting back on ultra-processed ones is a practical strategy most people can follow.
How quickly can reducing ultra-processed food intake improve heart health?
This study measured intake and cardiovascular disease at a single point rather than tracking what happens after someone changes their diet, so it cannot answer the timing question. The authors’ recommendation is straightforward: while large-scale randomized trials are awaited, health care providers should advise patients to cut back on ultra-processed foods alongside other proven lifestyle changes and, where indicated, drug therapy. In my experience, gradual and sustainable changes hold better than dramatic overnight shifts.
Bottom Line
This study of 4,787 U.S. adults delivers a clear message: eating the most ultra-processed foods is linked to a 47% higher risk of heart attack or stroke. With these foods making up 26.1% of daily calories on average in this sample, the potential impact on public health is large. The authors call for randomized trials, and in the meantime they advise cutting back on ultra-processed foods. Choosing whole, minimally processed foods more often is one of the most accessible steps anyone can take to protect their heart.
