Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are Damaging Your Health

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial products made mostly from refined ingredients, additives, with little to no whole food elements (Hall et al., 2019). They are cheap and convenient, and primarily developed to drive profits. They now account for over half of calories consumed within homes across the globe (Johns Hopkins, 2024). But growing evidence links high UPF intake to poor health and weight gain.

Why UPFs Are Harmful:

• Low nutrient density: High in sugar, salt, fat; low in fiber, vitamins, minerals.
  

• Overeating risk: Engineered for taste and texture, they bypass natural satiety signals leading to overconsumption.
  

• Gut health and inflammation: Additives and processing may disrupt the microbiome and promote inflammation (Fardet, 2016).
  

• Processing byproducts: Heat and packaging can introduce harmful compounds.
  

• Blood sugar spikes: Refined carbs cause glycemic swings, driving cravings and insulin resistance.

Health Risks Linked to UPFs

Research consistently connects UPFs with chronic disease:

• Meta-analyses show higher UPF intake is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (Pagliai et al., 2021).
  

• A BMJ umbrella review tied UPFs to 32 health outcomes, including heart disease, cancer, mental health disorders, and mortality (BMJ, 2023).
  

• A Nature Medicine study (2025) found clear dose–response relationships between UPF consumption and cardiometabolic risk (Nature Medicine, 2025).
  

• Observational data show 4% higher all-cause mortality and 8% higher neurodegenerative mortality in high UPF consumers (Harvard, 2024).

UPFs, Body Composition and Body Weight

Clinical feeding trials demonstrate people eat more and gain weight on UPF diets, even when calories and macros are matched to whole-food diets (Hall et al., 2019). Mechanisms include:

• Rapid digestion and low fiber → less satiety.
  

• Reward pathways drive overeating.
  

• Insulin resistance promotes fat storage.
  

• Poor protein quality may impair lean mass retention.

Benefits of UPF-Free Diets

Shifting to minimally processed meals brings:

• Better satiety & nutrient density
  

• Lower inflammation & better gut health
  

• Reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease
  

• More stable energy and improved body composition

B.fresh Healthy Meals

For many, time and convenience are barriers. At B.fresh we recognised these barriers and analysed the compelling research to formulate our UPF-free healthy meals. Each meal provides 20-25g protein and 20-25g fibre with all natural ingredients, no additives and absolutely no processed ingredients - making it easier to meet nutrition needs while also avoiding damaging UPFs.

How to Cut Back on UPFs

• Swap, don’t eliminate overnight - start with one UPF-free meal per day.
  

• Read labels: long ingredient lists and additives signal UPFs.
  

• Batch cook simple foods like beans, grains, and veggies.
  

• Use accessible swaps: oats for cereals, fruit/nuts for packaged snacks, plain yogurt for flavored desserts.
  

• Adopt an 80/20 mindset: focus on mostly UPF-free meals, without obsessing over perfection.

Conclusion

Ultra-processed foods dominate modern diets, but the science shows they increase risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and early death. Replacing them with whole-food, UPF-free meals improves satiety, body composition, and long-term health. Convenience doesn’t have to mean compromise: solutions like our healthy meals make it realistic to reduce UPFs while staying nourished. 

-- Written By Expert Nutritionist Matt Jones