Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #416369
Research Project: Dietary and Physical Activity Guidance for Weight Loss and Maintenance

Location: Healthy Body Weight Research

Title: What to know about research on ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health

Author
item PROMSCHMIDT, CLAUDIA - University Of North Dakota
item Hess, Julie
item LAUCKNER, ERIN - University Of North Dakota

Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have emerged as a potential area of concern for healthy diets with many scientific and consumer articles highlighting associations between UPF consumption and adverse health consequences. Even the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee is investigating the question about the relationship between consuming a dietary pattern with varying amounts of UPFs and growth, body composition, and risk of obesity. Yet, any relationship between UPF consumption and health outcomes is complicated by inconsistent definitions of UPFs as well as inconsistent application of these definitions. A strict application of the most widely used definition of UPFs includes many nutrient-dense foods in the UPF category. This article provides an overview of the current state of the research on this topic and its limitations.