Ultra-processed foods are bad for you. If you’ve heard us say this once, you’ve heard it a thousand times.
Not only do they increase your risk of developing heart disease and 30 other health conditions and diseases, but they’re also behind the obesity epidemic.
In fact, I wrote about the research that confirmed it’s these foods, not lack of exercise — as previously thought — that’s fueling rising rates of obesity.
But what’s truly disturbing is their impact on reproductive and metabolic health…
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Weight gain is just the beginning
A 2025 study at the University of Copenhagen has confirmed that no matter how little of them you eat, ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain.
Researchers compared the health effects of an unprocessed vs. an ultra-processed diet on the same person, in order to get the most accurate results.
Forty-three men spent three weeks eating each of the two diets, with a cleansing period in between.
The unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fats. But half the men were given an extra 500 calories per day.
Regardless of whether those extra 500 calories were involved, men on the ultra-processed diet gained about 1 kg (just over 2 pounds) more fat mass than those on the unprocessed diet.
But it doesn’t end there…
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“Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they’re not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful,” says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study.
Men on the ultra-processed diet showed:
- An increase in levels of phthalate cxxMINP, a hormone-disrupting chemical typically found in plastics.
- A decrease in testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, both essential for sperm production. In addition to affecting fertility, low sperm count impacts a man’s sex drive and can be a cause of erectile dysfunction.
- An increase in LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels.
- Altered thyroid hormones.
- Altered markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress.
And in case you’ve forgotten, chronic inflammation causes the cellular damage behind a range of diseases from cancer to Parkinson’s disease to diabetes, not to mention an accelerated aging process that makes your body old before its time.
“We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease,” says the study’s senior author, Professor Romain Barrès.
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The choice is clear
I hope you don’t need any more convincing.
Whole foods are the best alternatives to ultra-processed foods. But for success, ease into eating more of them and fewer ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are made to “hook” you, so don’t blame yourself if it’s hard to let them go. That being said, see about ditching the two ultra-processed foods considered the worst ASAP.
According to Heartfoundation.org, whole foods and minimally processed foods, like these, are what we all should be eating:
- Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit
- Dried, canned and frozen beans and legumes like lentils and chickpeas
- Whole grains like oats, brown rice, barley and quinoa
- Fresh and frozen poultry and meat
- Fresh, frozen and canned fish and seafood
- Milk and plain yoghurt (try sweetening with honey)
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds.
An easy way to identify ultra-processed foods is that they are quick, easy, and require little to no preparation — the very definition of “convenience foods.”
They include foods like sweetened cereals, soda and white bread; frozen French fries, chicken nuggets and pizza; processed meats, like hot dogs and bacon; pre-packaged baked goods, like cookies and cakes; and microwaveable meals.
Make the choice today and start taking back your health and your longevity.
Sources:
Why ultra-processed diets make you gain fat even without extra calories — Science Daily
Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health — Cell Metabolism
Here’s What Eating Processed Foods for Two Weeks Does to Your Body — Time
Five ways to eat less processed food — Heart Foundation
Read full article here