The world's largest scientific review has delivered a stark warning, revealing that ultra-processed food is linked to harm in every major organ system within the human body. This seismic finding positions the escalating consumption of UPFs as a critical threat to global health and wellbeing.
A Global Dietary Shift Fueled by Profit
According to a landmark series of three papers published in the Lancet, UPFs are rapidly displacing fresh food in diets across every continent. The review, which synthesised evidence from 43 leading global experts, associates high UPF intake with an increased risk of a dozen health conditions. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and depression.
In a startling statistic, the study found that more than half of the average diet in the UK and US now consists of UPFs. For certain demographics, particularly younger individuals, those on lower incomes, or people from disadvantaged areas, diets comprising up to 80% ultra-processed food are becoming typical.
The Overwhelming Evidence of Harm
The research points to several mechanisms through which UPFs cause damage. Diets high in these products are linked to overeating, poor nutritional quality, and greater exposure to harmful chemicals and additives. A systematic review of 104 long-term studies conducted for the series found that 92 of them reported greater associated risks of one or more chronic diseases, as well as early death from all causes.
Professor Carlos Monteiro, a series author from the University of São Paulo, was unequivocal. "The evidence strongly suggests that humans are not biologically adapted to consume them," he stated, underscoring the urgent need for action. Monteiro was instrumental in developing the Nova classification system, which categorises UPFs as Group 4 – industrially manufactured products often containing artificial flavours, emulsifiers, and colouring.
Call for Action Against Corporate Influence
The series identifies powerful, profit-driven global corporations as the primary engine behind the sharp rise in UPF consumption. The authors accuse these entities of using aggressive marketing, political lobbying, and tactics to skew scientific debate and prevent effective regulation.
One of the papers proposes concrete policies to combat the crisis, including:
- Including UPF markers on front-of-package labels.
- Implementing stronger marketing restrictions, especially those targeting children.
- Banning UPFs in schools and hospitals.
- Limiting UPF sales and shelf space in supermarkets.
Series co-author Professor Barry Popkin from the University of North Carolina emphasised the need for smart regulation to prevent unhealthy ingredient substitutions by manufacturers. The authors likened the current global public health response to where the tobacco control movement was decades ago, indicating a long road ahead.
While some scientists not involved in the series called for more research to establish causation definitively, the authors argued that the existing evidence is substantial enough to justify immediate protective measures. They highlighted Brazil's national school food programme, which is on track to require 90% fresh or minimally processed food by 2026, as a model of success.
