Eating more ultra-processed foods may raise heart disease risk by up to 19%, says major European report

There was a time when food came from kitchens, farms, and family recipes. Today, much of it comes from packets, freezers, factory lines, and shelves built for convenience. Instant noodles, packaged snacks, sugary cereals, processed meats, frozen desserts, energy bars, and even some “healthy” breakfast options have quietly become part of everyday life. Now, a major report published in the European Society of Cardiology warns that this shift may be coming at a serious cost to heart health.


The new clinical consensus statement, published in the European Heart Journal, reviewed years of research from around the world and found that people who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods, also called UPFs, face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The report also linked these foods with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and chronic kidney disease.


What makes this report stand out is not just the findings, but the fact that leading cardiologists across Europe are now urging doctors to actively ask patients how much ultra-processed food they eat. That marks a major shift in how modern medicine looks at food and disease.

What exactly are ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are not simply foods that are cooked or packaged. They are industrially manufactured products made using ingredients rarely found in a home kitchen. These often include preservatives, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, stabilisers, colourings, and chemically modified substances designed to improve taste, shelf life, or texture.


Examples include packaged chips, processed meats, instant soups, frozen pizzas, sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, packaged desserts, chicken nuggets, flavoured yoghurts, and many ready-to-eat meals.


The concern is not only about sugar, salt, or fat. Researchers say the problem also lies in the way these foods are manufactured and altered.

According to the report, adults with the highest intake of UPFs had up to a 19% higher risk of heart disease, a 13% higher risk of atrial fibrillation, and up to a 65% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed the least amount of UPFs.


Professor Luigina Guasti, one of the lead authors of the report, said that ultra-processed foods have “largely replaced traditional diets” and that current medical advice has not fully caught up with the growing evidence around their dangers.

Why researchers believe these foods damage the body

One of the most important parts of the report is that it explains how ultra-processed foods may affect the body beyond simple calorie intake.


Researchers believe UPFs may increase inflammation, disrupt metabolism, alter the gut microbiome, encourage overeating, and interfere with the body’s natural hunger signals. Many of these foods are designed to be hyper-palatable, meaning they are engineered to make people want more.


Dr Marialaura Bonaccio explained that UPFs are often high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats, while also containing additives and altered food structures that may trigger biological changes linked to disease.


This matters because heart disease is not caused by one single factor. It develops slowly over years through a mix of high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, obesity, poor cholesterol levels, smoking, stress, and inactivity. UPFs appear to worsen several of these risks at once.


The report also points out that even foods marketed as “healthy” may still be ultra-processed. Protein bars, flavoured low-fat yoghurts, diet snacks, and sugar-free packaged products may carry health claims on the label while still being heavily industrially processed.


That changes the conversation around nutrition. For years, dietary advice focused mainly on nutrients like calories, fats, and carbohydrates. Now experts say the degree of processing matters too.

The National Institutes of Health has also published research showing that people eating ultra-processed diets tend to consume more calories and gain more weight compared to those eating minimally processed foods.

The numbers show a bigger lifestyle shift

One of the most striking findings in the report is how deeply ultra-processed foods have entered daily diets across Europe.


Researchers found that UPFs account for around 61% of calorie intake in the Netherlands and 54% in the United Kingdom. In countries with stronger traditional food cultures, such as Italy and Portugal, the numbers were lower.


The concern is global. In many urban societies, busy schedules, rising food delivery culture, aggressive marketing, and the affordability of packaged foods have changed eating habits dramatically.


For many families, ultra-processed foods are not eaten occasionally anymore. They are breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.


This is where the report becomes more than a scientific paper. It becomes a warning about modern lifestyles.


The World Health Organization has repeatedly warned that unhealthy diets are among the leading causes of noncommunicable diseases worldwide, including heart disease and diabetes.


The report also highlights that current national dietary guidelines often focus only on nutrients and do not adequately address food processing itself. That means many people may unknowingly believe they are making healthier choices while still consuming highly processed products every day.

What this means for ordinary people

The findings do not mean every packaged food is dangerous or that occasional treats will suddenly damage the heart. The bigger message is about patterns, frequency, and dependence.


If most meals come from packets instead of kitchens, the long-term impact may quietly build over time.


Cardiologists involved in the report are now encouraging doctors to include questions about ultra-processed food intake during routine consultations, especially for patients with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or existing heart disease.


That advice could eventually reshape preventive healthcare.


Simple changes may matter more than extreme diets. Replacing packaged snacks with fruits or nuts, cooking more meals at home, reading ingredient labels carefully, reducing sugary drinks, and choosing minimally processed foods more often may gradually lower risk.


The message is not about fear. It is about awareness.

Why experts say this conversation cannot wait

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Yet many of the everyday habits contributing to it are deeply normalised.


What makes ultra-processed foods particularly concerning is how invisible the risk can feel. These products are convenient, heavily advertised, affordable, and socially accepted. Many are even marketed as fitness-friendly or diet-friendly.


The new European consensus statement is important because it moves UPFs from being just a nutrition debate into mainstream cardiovascular medicine.


At the same time, researchers are careful not to overstate conclusions. Much of the evidence so far comes from observational studies, which means scientists can identify strong links but cannot yet prove direct cause and effect in every case. Experts say more long-term clinical trials are still needed.


Still, the consistency of findings across different countries and populations has raised enough concern for cardiologists to take the issue seriously.


The report ultimately sends a powerful message: preventing disease is not only about medicines and hospitals. It may also begin in grocery stores, lunchboxes, office snacks, and dinner plates.


Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is based on findings published in the European Heart Journal and other public health sources. It should not be considered medical advice. Dietary needs and health conditions vary from person to person. Readers should consult a qualified doctor or registered dietitian before making major dietary or lifestyle changes.