People who regularly ate large amounts of ultra-processed foods faced a much greater risk of serious heart problems, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session . Those consuming more than nine servings per day were 67% more likely to experience major cardiac events than those eating about one serving daily. Ultra-processed foods include many common packaged and convenience items such as chips, crackers, frozen meals, processed meats, sugary drinks, breakfast cereals, and breads.
The study also found that risk increased steadily with each additional serving. Every extra daily serving of ultra-processed food was linked to more than a 5% rise in the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, or death from coronary heart disease or stroke. This connection appeared stronger among Black Americans compared with other racial groups.
“Ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, and while many of these products may seem like convenient on-the-go meal or snack options, our findings suggest they should be consumed in moderation,” said Amier Haidar, MD, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the study’s lead author.
Large U.S. Study Confirms Growing Concerns
This research is one of the first large-scale studies to explore how ultra-processed food consumption relates to heart disease in a diverse group of U.S. adults. The results are consistent with earlier studies, most of which were conducted in Europe, and provide additional insight into risks across a broader population.
The analysis included 6,814 adults ages 45-84 years who had no history of heart disease and were part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis .
Researchers used food questionnaires to estimate how much ultra-processed food each participant consumed daily. They applied the NOVA classification system, which organizes foods into four categories ranging from unprocessed or minimally processed (e.g., corn on the cob) to ultra-processed (e.g., corn chips), with moderately processed foods in between (e.g., corn starch and canned corn).
Participants with the highest intake averaged 9.3 servings of ultra-processed foods per day, while those with the lowest intake averaged 1.1 servings. Compared with the lowest group, those in the highest group had a 67% greater risk of dying from coronary heart disease or stroke, or experiencing events such as non-fatal heart attack, stroke or resuscitated cardiac arrest.
