Ultra-processed and uber-risky.
Cardiology researchers published new findings Tuesday linking junk foods to cardiovascular distress, falling in line with the Department of Health and Human Services’ new dietary guidelines urging Americans to steer clear of foods like chips and candy.
Diets made up mostly of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) were found to increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke and fatal heart disease — and the outcomes were almost twice as bad for black people compared to other racial groups.
Every additional serving of UPFs — think gas station snacks like packaged donuts and cookies, but also breakfast cereals, margarines, sodas and reconstituted meats — increased a person’s risk of heart problems.
Someone who consumed close to nine servings a day was found to have a 67% higher risk of heart disease than someone who only ate one.
The study’s authors, who specifically wanted to analyze the effects of junk foods on racially and ethnically diverse populations, found that, for black people, the chance of heart attack, stroke and fatal heart disease associated with UPFs increased by 6.1% with each daily serving, versus just 3.2% for other groups.
The paper’s lead author, UTHealth Houston cardiology fellow Dr. Amier Haidar, attributed this greater risk to factors related to systemic racism, such as chronic stress and the proliferation of food deserts in predominantly black neighborhoods, but also called for deeper analysis of the biology at play.
The ugly truth, however, is that the ultra-processed diet is a problem for all Americans — the majority of whom get over half their daily calories from UPFs, according to a 2025 report in the Journal of Nutrition.
This kind of grub is often high in sugars, saturated fats and salt and tends to have ingredient lists full of items you wouldn’t cook with at home, like emulsifiers, synthetic food dyes and other additives.
Scientists think these snacks do so much damage because they disrupt the gut microbiome and cause inflammation, which has been linked to all kinds of cardiometabolic diseases, as well as certain cancers.
In most cases, these foods are cheap and full of calories. In households at or below the poverty line, the choice is often between UPFs or nothing at all.
What’s worse is that many of these products are specifically formulated to be addictive.
But, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out, not all ultra-processed products are a problem, and some actually have some nutritional value.
Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, told WSJ that this includes “whole-grain breads, some soy and almond milks and some plant-based meat alternatives.”
And while it’s wise to avoid UPFs when possible, moderation is the best course of action, paired with a robust diet of whole fruits, vegetables and grains.
Ultimately, one bag of sour cream and onion potato chips isn’t going to kill you — but nine just might.
