If you’ve ever been confused by the label “ultraprocessed food,” you’re not alone. Now, the American Heart Association says health professionals are confused, too.
In a sweeping new science advisory published in Circulation, the organization reviews the state of research on ultraprocessed food (UPF) and its connection to cardiometabolic disease, including heart attack, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The verdict? Most of what Americans eat is ultraprocessed and much of it is high in saturated fat, added sugar, sodium and calories.
But that’s only part of the story.
“Eating foods with too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt is unhealthy,” said Dr. Maya Vadiveloo, chair of the advisory writing group. “What we don’t know is if certain ingredients or processing techniques make a food unhealthy above and beyond their poor nutritional composition.”
That distinction is critical. Ultraprocessed food, as defined by the Nova classification system, includes everything from candy and frozen pizza to plant-based milks, commercial whole-grain bread and shelf-stable beans. The AHA notes that while many UPFs are nutrient-poor, some, including low-sugar dairy or certain fortified products, can be part of a healthy diet.
This advisory also highlights a key challenge for public health: the lack of transparency around food additives and industrial processing methods. U.S. manufacturers aren’t required to disclose how foods are processed, making it hard for researchers to untangle whether it’s the processing itself or the common combo of high fat, salt and sugar that’s to blame for poor health outcomes.
Still, the numbers are hard to ignore. According to the CDC, ultraprocessed foods make up 55% of calories in the typical American diet and nearly 62% for children and teens. Observational studies link higher UPF consumption with a 21% to 66% increase in all-cause mortality and cardiometabolic risks.
But the advisory cautions against assuming all UPFs are equally harmful.
The authors stress the need for better definitions, stronger food labeling and more research into food additives and their effects on the brain, eating behavior and long-term health.
In the meantime, their advice is to reduce the most nutrient-poor UPFs and build meals around whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and oils that support health. That includes many plant-based oils such as soybean, canola and olive oil. (While these oils go through refining steps for safety and shelf stability, they are not inherently harmful and can be part of a balanced diet, especially when used in place of saturated fats like butter or lard.)
As the AHA notes, classifying a food solely by its processing level, without context, risks misleading consumers and diluting meaningful dietary guidance.