Vivid Perspectives – More Truth About Ultra-processed Food and Disease

by Dr. Tess Pape, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, CNOR-E, CNE

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat manufactured products that often use ingredients not found in home cooking, meaning many chemicals are used instead.

The products are usually high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat. UPFs account for more than half of all calories eaten in the United States, and are linked to weight gain, obesity, heart disease and some cancers.

lots of packaged food

NIH researchers have developed a new, objective method to measure ultra-processed food intake using blood and urine metabolites. These metabolites, which are byproducts of metabolism were used to create a poly-metabolite score. That score can complement or replace self-reported dietary data, which is often unreliable.

The study involved:

• 718 older adults providing dietary data and biospecimens over a year.

• A clinical trial with 20 adults consuming diets with either 80% or 0% ultra-processed foods.

Using machine learning, researchers identified poly-metabolite scores which accurately distinguished between high and no ultra-processed food diets.

In other words, it was like a lie detector to tell what the person actually ate verses what they said they ate. This tool could improve dietary research and help explore links between ultra-processed foods and diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes.

• Further validation is needed in diverse populations.

The researchers identified nearly 200 blood metabolites and 300 urine metabolites that correlated with ultra-processed food (UPF) intake

The selected metabolites include a mix of lipids, amino acids, carbohydrates, and vitamins.

One amino acid found in vegetables was strongly negatively associated with UPF intake. This means that as the amino acid found in vegetables increases, the less there are of UPFs eaten. The person ate more vegetables.

One compound formed when sugars react with proteins (likely an advanced glycation end-product) was positively associated with UPF intake and linked to diabetes and cardiometabolic risk.

This means that if there is more sugar and proteins consumed, there is more diabetes and heart problems.

The Bottom Line - There Are Many Health Effects of Key Metabolites Identified

1. Amino Acid from Vegetables

   • Negatively associated with UPF intake.

   • Likely beneficial as its lower presence in high-UPF diets suggests a loss of protective nutrients.

   • May play a role in anti-inflammatory or antioxidant processes.

2. Advanced Glycation End Product (AGE)

   • Positively associated with UPF intake.

   • Formed when sugars react with proteins during high-heat processing.

   • Linked to:

     • Increased risk of type 2 diabetes

     • Cardiometabolic diseases

     • Chronic inflammation

3. Lipids, Carbohydrates, and Vitamins

   • Many of the metabolites identified fall into these categories.

   • Imbalances in these can affect:

     • Insulin sensitivity

     • Lipid metabolism

     • Oxidative stress

     • Nutrient deficiencies

Reference

Abar L, Steele EM, Lee SK, Kahle L, Moore SC, Watts E, et al. (2025) Identification and validation of poly-metabolite scores for diets high in ultra-processed food: An observational study and post-hoc randomized controlled crossover-feeding trial. PLoS Med 22(5): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004560