What is the relationship between ultra-processed food and cardio-metabolic syndrome (CMS)?

From the Guidelines

Reducing ultra-processed food consumption is strongly recommended to lower your risk of cardiometabolic syndrome, as evidenced by the most recent and highest quality study 1. Ultra-processed foods—such as packaged snacks, sugary beverages, instant meals, and most fast foods—contain high levels of refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, sodium, and chemical additives while lacking essential nutrients. These foods disrupt metabolic health by causing rapid blood sugar spikes, promoting inflammation, and contributing to insulin resistance. Regular consumption is strongly linked to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia—the key components of cardiometabolic syndrome. Some key points to consider:

• The consumption of ultra-processed foods is estimated to be around 50-60% of UK dietary intakes 1
• Observed associations between higher consumption of (ultra-)processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning, however it is unclear to what extent these associations are explained by established relationships between nutritional factors and health outcomes 1
• A healthy eating pattern consisting of higher intakes of plant-based foods, low-fat dairy, lower intakes of fried foods, and red and processed meat was consistently associated with an 18%–65% lower risk of CAD 1 To protect your health, replace ultra-processed foods with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Aim to prepare most meals at home using fresh ingredients, read nutrition labels carefully when purchasing packaged foods, and gradually reduce your intake of convenience foods. Even modest reductions in ultra-processed food consumption can lead to meaningful improvements in metabolic markers, including blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and cholesterol profiles, ultimately reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes 1. It is also recommended to minimize the consumption of sugars-sweetened beverages in children and adults 1. Overall, the evidence suggests that reducing ultra-processed food consumption and adopting a healthy eating pattern can have a significant impact on reducing the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome and its associated health outcomes.

From the Research

Association between Ultra-Processed Foods and Cardiometabolic Syndrome

• A growing body of evidence supports an association between ultra-processed food intake and increased risk of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity trajectories, and cardiovascular disease 2.
• The strongest evidence is observed in relation to weight gain and obesity among adults, as this association is supported by high-quality epidemiological and experimental evidence 2.
• Ultra-processed foods are positively associated with the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) 3.

Effects of Reducing Ultra-Processed Food Consumption

• Lifestyle improvement interventions can reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods in adults with metabolic syndrome, with significant reductions in ultra-processed food consumption observed in all intervention groups 3.
• Reducing ultra-processed food consumption can have an impact on the prevention and treatment of MetS 3.
• Higher ultra-processed food consumption is associated with adverse evolution in objectively measured cardiometabolic risk factors after 12 months of follow-up in adults with metabolic syndrome 4.

Mechanisms Underlying the Association between Ultra-Processed Foods and Cardiometabolic Syndrome

• Ultra-processed foods may affect cardiometabolic health through a myriad of mechanisms, beyond the traditionally recognized individual nutrients, including altered serum lipid concentrations, modified gut microbiota and host-microbiota interactions, obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress, dysglycemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension 5.
• The highly degraded physical structure of ultra-processed foods may affect cardiometabolic health by influencing absorption kinetics, satiety, glycemic response, and the gut microbiota composition and function 5.
• Food additives and neo-formed contaminants produced during processing may also play a role in CVD risk 5.

Epidemiological Evidence

• Epidemiological studies suggest that higher consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) 6, 5.
• The association between changes in ultra-processed food consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors remains understudied, but available evidence suggests a positive association between ultra-processed food consumption and several cardiometabolic risk factors, including weight, BMI, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides 4.