In 2025, KM Krost and a team studied 186,744 UK adults aged 40–75 from the UK Biobank (2006–2010). They used food surveys to track 37 ultra-processed food additives like flavor enhancers, coloring agents, and sweeteners, linking them to deaths over 11 years. They adjusted for total food intake to focus on additive effects.

In 2025, Jessica M. Preston and Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen studied 43 men aged 20-35 in a crossover trial. Participants spent three weeks on ultra-processed diets (like processed meats and snacks) and three on unprocessed diets (whole foods), with equal calories, followed by a washout period. They measured weight, hormones, and pollutants in blood.

In 2025, Maya K. Vadiveloo and a team from the American Heart Association reviewed studies on ultraprocessed foods like chips, sodas, and ready meals. They looked at how these foods, often high in fats, sugars, and salt, affect health in the US where 55% of calories come from them, rising to 62% in youth.

In 2025, Hailun Xie and team analyzed 6,568 cancer patients from multiple hospitals. They made an inflammatory score from white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels in blood, grouping it as mild, moderate, or severe. They tracked survival and nutrition changes using stats like survival curves and risk models.

In 2025, Samuel J. Dicken and a team from University College London ran a trial with 55 adults. They split people into two groups: one ate minimally processed foods like overnight oats or homemade spaghetti Bolognese for eight weeks, then switched to ultra-processed foods like breakfast bars or ready meals after a break.

In 2025, Yunxiang Sun and team from Johns Hopkins and Brazilian universities analyzed survey data from over 87,000 adults in Brazil. They used self-reports on diabetes, depression, and diet (via food frequency questionnaires) to check how ultra-processed food (UPF) intake affects the depression-diabetes connection, running stats adjusted for age, income, and more.

A 2025 study by Zheng et al. used data from over 16,000 Chinese adults between 1997–2011. They found that simply owning a refrigerator was linked to a 39% increase in daily calorie intake, a rise in fat and protein consumption, and more processed food in the diet—alongside higher obesity risk, especially among older adults and men.

For the first time, the federal government is officially acknowledging the link between ultra-processed foods and skyrocketing rates of chronic illness, metabolic dysfunction, and neurodevelopmental issues like autism and ADHD.

Despite the wholesome label, “natural flavors” often contain highly processed chemical mixtures derived from plants or animals, but with little nutritional value.

A 2025 study identified specific metabolite patterns—called poly-metabolite scores—that accurately reflect UPF intake. These biomarkers offer an objective alternative to self-reported diets, aiding large-scale nutrition research and potentially linking UPF consumption to health outcomes.