Scientists have known for several years that people who eat large amounts of ultra-processed foods often have poorer health than those who eat mostly fresh foods.
Until recently, however, it has been difficult to understand what happens inside the body that could explain this connection. A new international study has taken a closer look and found that ultra-processed foods appear to leave a unique chemical fingerprint in the blood.
Ultra-processed foods include many packaged products that have been heavily changed during manufacturing. They often contain added sugars, refined starches, unhealthy fats, salt, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and other industrial ingredients.
While these foods are convenient and popular, nutrition experts have become increasingly concerned about their effects on long-term health.
The new research was carried out by an international team led by Dr. Jessica Blanco-Lopez at the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The results were published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The scientists studied more than 15,000 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, one of Europe’s largest health studies.
Participants answered detailed questions about their usual diet. The researchers then classified each person’s food intake using the NOVA system, which ranks foods according to how much processing they receive.
Blood samples were also collected to measure metabolites and fatty acids. These small molecules provide valuable information because they reflect how the body processes food and uses energy.
When the researchers compared dietary habits with blood test results, they found a clear pattern. People who consumed larger amounts of ultra-processed foods had a different combination of blood chemicals compared with people who ate fewer of these foods. Twenty-two metabolites and eight fatty acids were closely linked with higher intake of ultra-processed products.
Several of these chemical changes suggested poorer fat metabolism and signs that the body’s energy-producing systems may not be working as efficiently. The researchers also observed lower amounts of some fats that are important for healthy cell membranes.
At the same time, they found higher levels of fatty acids that may reflect increased production of fat inside the body. This suggests that ultra-processed foods may influence metabolism in ways that go beyond their nutritional labels.
The scientists carefully adjusted their analysis to reduce the effects of other factors such as age and lifestyle. They also repeated their statistical analyses using different methods. The findings stayed very similar throughout the testing process, giving the team greater confidence that the results were reliable.
However, the researchers emphasized an important limitation. Because the study looked at participants at only one point in time, it cannot prove that ultra-processed foods directly caused these metabolic changes. Other factors may also contribute. Long-term studies that follow people over many years will be needed to answer that question.
Even with this limitation, the study adds another important piece of evidence to a growing body of research linking ultra-processed foods with poorer health. The results suggest that these foods may affect the body’s normal metabolism in ways that could eventually contribute to chronic diseases if consumed regularly over many years.
From a public health perspective, the findings support current advice to build meals around fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, dairy, fish, and other minimally processed foods while reducing highly processed packaged products whenever practical.
The study is carefully designed and includes a large number of participants, making the findings valuable. Although it cannot establish cause and effect, it offers a possible biological explanation for why diets high in ultra-processed foods have repeatedly been linked with disease in earlier research.
Future studies that track people over time will be essential for confirming whether these blood changes directly lead to illness and whether improving diet can reverse them.
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Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO).
