Ultraprocessed foods dominate grocery store shelves today in the form of frozen dinners, packaged snacks, and fast-food items. While they offer convenience, they are engineered to hijack your appetite and flood your system with harmful compounds. These products, stripped of real nutrition and loaded with additives, trans fats, and artificial ingredients, are slowly clogging your arteries and setting you up for a heart attack or stroke.
According to a recent study, nearly 38% of all cardiovascular disease deaths in Canada are directly linked to ultraprocessed food consumption. That means over 17,400 Canadian lives are lost each year because of food choices that seem harmless but are quietly destroying your heart and arteries.
But it goes beyond heart disease; ultraprocessed foods damage your overall health, worsening your metabolic function, increasing inflammation, and compromising gut function. Every single packaged snack or sugary drink you consume adds up, leading you toward obesity, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and even early death.
Canadian Study Points To Ultraprocessed Foods As A Massive Cause Of Heart Disease
A recent analysis from the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal, commissioned by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, set out to measure how much of Canada’s heart disease and stroke burden is driven by ultraprocessed foods. They used national health data to model the impact of these foods on adults over age 20.1
The team linked food intake data from the Canadian Community Health Survey to new cases of cardiovascular disease, deaths from heart disease and stroke, and years of life lost or spent disabled. In 2019 alone, ultraprocessed foods contributed to 96,043 new cases of cardiovascular disease, 17,417 deaths, and nearly 389,000 years of life lost or spent living with chronic heart-related conditions.
The study, a first of its kind,2 was modeled using real national health data and validated risk models, not guesses or projections. According to the authors, if Canadians cut their intake of these foods by 50%, there would be 45,914 fewer new cardiovascular disease cases annually. It would also save 8,314 lives every single year.
The highest levels of processed food consumption were seen in young men aged 20 to 24 and adults over 80. Unsurprisingly, the study found that 61% of new heart disease and stroke cases connected to these foods occurred in men. Additionally, men accounted for 52% of the related deaths.
Poor eating habits create health problems later, with symptoms like high blood pressure, fatigue, and shortness of breath appearing when damage is already underway.
Ultraprocessed foods are engineered to make you overeat. These foods are packed with industrial ingredients like refined sugars, trans fats, and chemicals designed to override your fullness signals. The result? Overeating, weight gain, and chronic inflammation, which damage your artery walls and raise your blood clot risk.
Different Types Of Ultraprocessed Foods Lead To Higher Mortality Risk
Another research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)3 examined how different varieties of ultraprocessed foods affect your risk of death from all causes over time. The study used data from two massive U.S. cohort studies — the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. More than 74,000 women and nearly 40,000 men were tracked for up to 34 years, all starting without cancer, heart disease, or diabetes.
The participants were healthy adults at the start, but those eating the highest amounts of ultraprocessed foods faced a 4% higher risk of dying from any cause compared to those who consumed the least.
Ultraprocessed foods are engineered to make you overeat by overriding your fullness signals with chemical ingredients.
Processed meat products were the biggest culprits, with hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats linked to a staggering 43% higher risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases, and a 13% higher risk of dying from all causes.
The study revealed that sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages were almost equally harmful, with hazard ratios of 1.09 and 1.08, respectively. In other words, swapping regular soda for diet versions still disrupts your metabolism and spikes insulin, leading to fat gain and metabolic dysfunction — even without calories.
Ultraprocessed products trigger systemic inflammation, harming the cells lining your arteries and upsetting hormonal balance. They also increase free radicals in your body, which are unstable molecules that damage your cells, DNA, and membranes. Over time, oxidative stress speeds up aging, weakens immunity, and makes you more vulnerable to chronic disease and infections.
The research found that even participants with high overall diet quality, measured by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, still experienced higher mortality if they consumed ultraprocessed foods. This means you cannot offset the damage by eating healthy foods along with ultraprocessed; the key is to completely eliminate these products from your diet.
Ultraprocessed Foods Are Associated With 32 Adverse Health Effects
A recent umbrella review, also published in the BMJ,4 combined data from 45 pooled analyses, covering almost 10 million people worldwide. The research included adults and children, looking at different adverse health parameters and how ultraprocessed foods directly contribute to these health risks.
The researchers found that 32 out of 45 analyses (71%) confirmed a strong link between consuming these foods and 32 adverse health outcomes, including mental health disorders, respiratory diseases, digestive issues, metabolic problems and cancer.5
Adults aged 30 to 50 were most affected long-term, but the danger was evident across all ages. Children and teens who ate more ultraprocessed foods had higher rates of wheezing and breathing problems, while seniors faced accelerated health declines.
The solution is to change your diet habits, one step at a time. Start by making whole foods the foundation of every meal. Photo©Sergii Koval/123rf
For every 10% increase in ultraprocessed food consumption, there was a 12% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and a 21% higher chance of dying from any cause. Meanwhile, cardiovascular death rates surged by 50% among those with the highest intake compared to the lowest.
Those who consumed more ultraprocessed foods were 48% more likely to suffer from anxiety and 53% more likely to experience depression and other mood disorders. Sleep problems were also common.
Every additional serving increased obesity risk by up to 7%, abdominal obesity by 5%, and Type 2 diabetes by 12%. If weight and metabolism are already concerns for you, these foods are quietly making things worse.
5 Ways To Eliminate Ultraprocessed Foods Now To Protect Your Health
If you’re feeling tired, foggy, or noticing small signs like forgetfulness, shortness of breath, or weight gain, your daily food choices are the first place to look. The studies featured above make it clear that ultraprocessed foods are not harmless; they are directly contributing to heart disease, stroke, memory decline, and even early death.
The good news is that you have control. The solution is to change your diet habits, one step at a time. Here are recommendations you can implement right now to help reverse the damage and protect your body.
1. Clear your kitchen of ultraprocessed foods. Go through your pantry and fridge and toss out packaged snacks, sugary beverages, frozen dinners, deli meats, and breakfast bars — even if they say “organic” or “low-fat.” If you’re unsure whether it’s ultraprocessed or not, ask yourself: Is this made with ingredients I wouldn’t cook with at home? If the answer is yes, it needs to go. Removing temptation makes it easier for you to succeed without relying on willpower alone.
2. Switch to whole foods as the foundation of every meal. If you’re someone who loves convenience, you need easy, go-to replacements. Focus on simple foods like eggs, grass fed beef, wild-caught fish, fresh fruits, well-cooked vegetables, root vegetables, and white rice if your gut tolerates it. Always aim for minimally processed foods that are recognizable.
3. Ditch sodas and artificially sweetened beverages completely. If you’re someone who loves flavored drinks, make your own fruit-infused water with lemon, berries, or cucumber.
4. Plan your snacks and meals. One of the biggest reasons people fall back into bad habits is lack of preparation. Planning your meals will save your health. Pre-cut vegetables, boil eggs, batch-cook meats, and have fruit ready to grab. If you’re someone who travels a lot, pack your own food. Nothing derails your progress faster than hunger and no options.
5. Track your energy and brain clarity daily. Make it a habit to check in with yourself every morning and evening. How’s your focus? Do you feel energized or sluggish? Write it down. If you’re someone who likes structure, turn it into a challenge for 30 days. The more you track, the more you’ll notice how much removing ultraprocessed foods is improving your life. Watching that progress builds confidence and keeps you moving forward.
Notes
1 Department of Nutrition, University of Montreal, February 2025
2 Global News, February 25, 2025
3 BMJ 2024;385:e078476
4 BMJ 2024;384:e077310
5 Global News, March 1, 2024
This article was brought to you by Dr. Mercola, a New York Times bestselling author. For more helpful articles, please visit Mercola.com.
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