Overview
- In JAMA Oncology, a Harvard-led analysis of 29,105 participants in Nurses' Health Study II found women with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods had about a 45% higher risk of early-onset conventional adenomas.
- That colorectal study reported no association with serrated lesions and relied on food-frequency questionnaires from 1991 to 2015, with authors cautioning it cannot prove causation.
- A USC longitudinal study in Nutrition & Metabolism following 85 young adults (ages 17–22) reported that each 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake was linked to a 64% higher prediabetes risk and a 56% higher risk of impaired glucose regulation.
- The USC cohort also showed higher insulin levels at follow-up among heavier consumers of ultra-processed foods, indicating early signs of insulin resistance.
- Context from public-health reporting notes ultra-processed products account for more than half of U.S. calorie intake and an estimated three-quarters of the food supply, fueling calls for clearer guidance and policy measures to help people reduce consumption.