As Bad As Smoking and Something Most Americans Do Daily

What Defines An Ultra-Processed Food?

Ultra-processed foods (often called UPFs) are the packaged, long-shelf-life products you find lining most grocery store aisles: sodas, snacks, cakes, frozen meals, flavored chips, processed meats, and sugary cereals.

They’re engineered to taste good and last longer, but they’re stripped of the nutrients your body actually needs. Instead, they’re packed with additives, synthetic ingredients, and preservatives, many of which the human body has never encountered before in history.

Here in the U.S., these foods now make up nearly 60% of the average adult’s diet and close to 70% of what children eat.

It’s easy to see why this is a problem: when most of what we eat is designed in a lab instead of grown in the ground, our biology starts to pay the price.

The Link Between UPFs and Inflammation

A recent study from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine found a clear, measurable link between UPF consumption and higher inflammation levels.

The researchers looked at over 9,000 adults across the U.S. and measured blood levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker doctors often use to gauge inflammation and predict cardiovascular disease risk.

They found that those who consumed the highest percentage of calories from ultra-processed foods had significantly higher hs-CRP levels than those who ate the least. Even moderate consumers showed a noticeable increase.

To put it simply: the more processed food people ate, the more inflamed their bodies became.

That inflammation, in turn, raises the risk for a long list of chronic diseases, not just heart problems, but also cancer, diabetes, and even certain autoimmune and mental health conditions.

The Risk Varies By These Factors

While ultra-processed foods negatively impact everyone, the study found certain groups are especially vulnerable:

• Adults ages 50–59 had a 26% higher risk of elevated inflammation compared to younger adults.
  

• People with obesity had an 80% higher risk than those with a healthy weight.
  

• Smokers also showed more inflammation than non-smokers.
  
  

Interestingly, the researchers noted that physically active people still showed higher inflammation if they consumed large amounts of processed foods, meaning exercise alone may not offset the damage caused by diet.

Why This Matters

Inflammation is the body’s alarm system, beneficial in short bursts but destructive when it’s constantly triggered. Over time, this “silent inflammation” accelerates the very diseases we spend decades trying to prevent.

The researchers behind the study compared our current relationship with ultra-processed foods to society’s history with tobacco: it took decades of evidence (and public willpower) to finally acknowledge and reduce smoking’s dangers. They predict the same pattern will likely happen with food.

While public health policies may take time to catch up, individuals can take action immediately.

• Prioritize whole foods — vegetables, fruits, eggs, fish, nuts, and minimally processed meats.
  

• Cook at home whenever possible — it’s the simplest way to control what goes into your body.
  

• Read labels carefully. If an ingredient list reads like a chemistry experiment, it’s probably not helping your health.
  
  

As Dr. Wiggy often reminds patients, our food is either medicine or poison depending on its source. Reducing ultra-processed foods is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to lower inflammation, protect long-term health, and restore balance in the body.