New headlines say a “popular food” might raise heart disease risk by 67%. Before you panic about what’s on your plate, let’s unpack what this new research on ultra-processed foods actually means for your heart.

If you rely on packaged bread, frozen meals, flavored yogurts, or snack bars to get through a busy week, you’re not alone—and you’re not a failure. Ultra-processed foods have quietly become the backbone of the modern diet. But a growing body of research, including a recent analysis highlighted by AOL/Prevention via Yahoo and Hearst, links higher intake of these foods with significantly higher rates of heart disease.

In this guide, we’ll translate that “67% increased risk” into plain language, look at what scientists actually measured, and walk through realistic, judgment-free ways to protect your heart—even if you’re not ready (or able) to cook every meal from scratch.

Assorted ultra-processed foods like chips, soda, and packaged snacks on a table
Ultra-processed foods are convenient and everywhere—but new data suggests they may significantly raise heart disease risk when they dominate the diet.

What the New Study Actually Found About Ultra-Processed Foods and Heart Disease

The article referenced from AOL/Prevention (via Yahoo and Hearst) discussed research in which scientists examined health data from a large group of adults, looking specifically at their intake of ultra-processed foods and how that related to the development of heart disease over time.

People who ate the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods had about a 67% higher relative risk of developing heart disease compared with those who ate the least. This doesn’t mean you have a 67% chance of having a heart attack just because you eat chips—but it does mean your odds may climb substantially when ultra-processed foods dominate your diet.

“Across multiple cohorts, higher intake of ultra-processed foods has been consistently linked with increased cardiovascular events and mortality. While we’re still untangling all the mechanisms, the signal is strong enough that moderation is clearly warranted.”
— Cardiovascular epidemiologist, 2025 review in a major cardiology journal

Other recent meta-analyses and cohort studies (published between 2019 and 2024 in journals such as The BMJ, Circulation, and European Heart Journal) have reported:

  • Higher intake of ultra-processed foods is linked with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and overall cardiovascular disease.
  • Ultra-processed foods are also associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers—all of which strain the heart.
  • The risk tends to rise with each additional serving of ultra-processed foods consumed daily.

What Counts as “Ultra-Processed Food,” Exactly?

The term “ultra-processed” comes from the NOVA food classification system, which groups foods by how much they’re industrially processed—not just their calories or fat.

Ultra-processed foods typically:

  • Contain ingredients you don’t usually find in a home kitchen (emulsifiers, colorings, “flavor enhancers”).
  • Are designed to be hyper-palatable (very tasty, easy to overeat).
  • Are shelf-stable and ready-to-eat or heat.
  • Often come in bright packaging and are heavily marketed.
Grocery cart filled with packaged foods in a supermarket aisle
Many common supermarket staples—from sugary cereals to frozen dinners—fall into the ultra-processed category.

Common examples of ultra-processed foods

  • Sugary breakfast cereals and cereal bars
  • Soda, energy drinks, sweetened coffees and teas
  • Packaged cookies, pastries, and many snack cakes
  • Chips and many flavored crackers
  • Instant noodles and some boxed meal kits
  • Frozen pizzas and many frozen entrées
  • Processed meats such as hot dogs, many deli meats, and some chicken nuggets
  • Flavored yogurts with long ingredient lists and added sweets

What Does “67% Higher Risk” Really Mean for Your Heart?

Headlines love big numbers, but they often don’t explain them. The 67% figure refers to a relative risk increase between groups who ate the least versus the most ultra-processed foods.

A simple way to visualize it

Imagine 1,000 people who eat very few ultra-processed foods. Over several years, suppose 30 of them develop heart disease.

Now imagine 1,000 people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods. With a 67% higher relative risk, instead of 30 people, you might see around 50 people develop heart disease.

The exact numbers will vary by study and population, but the idea is that people in the high ultra-processed group had meaningfully higher odds of heart problems than those who ate less—even after researchers adjusted for factors like age, sex, smoking, and physical activity.

Doctor showing a heart model to a patient during a consultation
Your overall pattern of eating—not a single snack or meal—has the biggest impact on long-term heart health.

Why Might Ultra-Processed Foods Harm the Heart?

Researchers are still piecing together all the mechanisms, but several plausible explanations have emerged from recent studies:

  1. Excess added sugar and refined starches
    These can spike blood sugar, promote insulin resistance, and contribute to weight gain—all risk factors for heart disease.
  2. Unhealthy fats and sodium
    Many ultra-processed foods are high in saturated fat, industrial trans fats (in some regions), and salt, which can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood pressure.
  3. Low in fiber and protective nutrients
    Replacing whole foods with ultra-processed products means fewer antioxidants, minerals, and fibers that normally support heart and gut health.
  4. Impact on the gut microbiome
    Emulsifiers, sweeteners, and a low-fiber diet may disrupt gut bacteria, which in turn can promote inflammation linked to heart disease.
  5. Overeating by design
    Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be easy to overconsume, which can lead to excess calories and weight gain without feeling satisfied.
“The concern isn’t just the sugar or the fat. It’s the whole package: how these products displace real food, change appetite regulation, and may interfere with metabolic pathways we’re only beginning to understand.”
— Registered dietitian and nutrition scientist, 2024 conference presentation

A Real-Life Example: Cutting Back Without Going “All or Nothing”

One 52-year-old patient (we’ll call her Maria) came to a cardiology clinic after a mild heart scare. She worked long shifts, often surviving on vending machine snacks, frozen dinners, and drive-thru meals.

When her doctor explained the data on ultra-processed foods and heart disease, Maria felt overwhelmed—she couldn’t imagine cooking every night or giving up her favorite snacks. Instead of trying to overhaul everything, her care team focused on small, strategic swaps:

  • Replacing one daily soda with sparkling water plus a splash of 100% juice.
  • Swapping instant noodles for microwaveable brown rice, frozen veggies, and rotisserie chicken.
  • Adding a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts to afternoons, which naturally crowded out some chips.

Over six months, Maria didn’t become a gourmet chef—but her blood pressure improved, she lost a modest amount of weight, and, most importantly, she reported feeling more in control and less “addicted” to certain snack foods. This kind of realistic shift—rather than perfection—is what long-term heart protection usually looks like.


7 Practical Ways to Cut Ultra-Processed Foods and Protect Your Heart

You don’t need to swear off every packaged item. The goal is to shift the balance toward foods closer to their natural form and away from heavily engineered products.

Heart-healthy foods including vegetables, nuts, and fish arranged on a table
Building your meals around whole and minimally processed foods can gradually lower your reliance on ultra-processed products.
  1. Start with one meal
    Choose breakfast, lunch, or dinner and aim to make it mostly whole or minimally processed for most days of the week. For example, swap sugary cereal for:
    • Oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts
    • Plain yogurt with berries and a sprinkle of granola
    • Whole-grain toast with peanut butter and a banana
  2. Use the “5-ingredient-ish” rule of thumb
    When you buy packaged foods, scan the ingredient list. If it’s incredibly long or full of additives you don’t recognize, consider an alternative. This isn’t a hard rule, but it’s a helpful quick filter.
  3. Lean on “better” convenience foods
    Keep minimally processed staples on hand:
    • Canned beans (low sodium), lentils, and chickpeas
    • Frozen vegetables and fruit
    • Plain yogurt, cottage cheese, pre-washed salad greens
    • Rotisserie chicken, canned tuna or salmon
  4. Swap drinks first
    Sugary beverages are one of the easiest ultra-processed items to reduce. Try:
    • Water or sparkling water with lemon or berries
    • Unsweetened tea or coffee with a small amount of milk
    • Diluting juice with water to half-strength
  5. Plan “snack upgrades”
    Instead of trying to stop snacking altogether, build a short list of go-to options:
    • Apple slices with peanut butter
    • Nuts and seeds
    • Cheese with whole-grain crackers
    • Plain popcorn popped at home
  6. Cook once, eat twice (or more)
    When you do cook, make extra. Leftovers of a simple chili, whole-grain pasta, or roast chicken can become easy lunches and almost “instant” dinners later in the week.
  7. Change your environment, not just your willpower
    If ultra-processed snacks are visible and easy to grab, you’ll reach for them. Try:
    • Keeping fruit and nuts on the counter.
    • Storing chips or sweets out of sight or not buying them as often.
    • Bringing a heart-healthier snack to work so the vending machine is less tempting.

Real-World Barriers: Cost, Time, Cravings, and Family Habits

It’s easy to say “just cook from scratch,” but life isn’t a nutrition textbook. Time, budget, energy levels, and family preferences all shape what’s realistic for you.

If you’re worried about cost

  • Prioritize low-cost basics: beans, lentils, rice, oats, frozen vegetables, and eggs.
  • Buy generic brands when possible—nutrition is often similar.
  • Use frozen produce; it’s often cheaper and just as nutritious as fresh.

If time is your biggest barrier

  • Batch-cook one grain (like brown rice or quinoa) on weekends.
  • Use pre-cut or frozen veggies to cut prep time.
  • Plan two “assembly” dinners each week (e.g., salad + rotisserie chicken + canned beans).

If cravings are intense

  • Don’t aim for zero; aim for less. Build in small portions of favorite foods.
  • Pair treats with a meal or some protein/fiber to blunt blood sugar spikes.
  • Check sleep and stress—both can drive cravings for ultra-processed foods.

Before & After: A One-Day Meal Makeover (Without Perfection)

Here’s how a typical ultra-processed-heavy day can shift toward a more heart-protective pattern with a few practical changes.

Small, realistic swaps—from fast food and packaged snacks to simpler, whole-food options—can gradually lower your reliance on ultra-processed foods.

Before: Ultra-processed–heavy day

  • Breakfast: Sugary cereal with flavored milk, orange drink
  • Snack: Candy bar and soda
  • Lunch: Fast-food burger, fries, large soft drink
  • Snack: Chips from vending machine
  • Dinner: Frozen pizza, sweetened iced tea

After: Heart-friendlier day

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana and nuts; water or coffee
  • Snack: Apple and a small handful of almonds
  • Lunch: Rotisserie chicken, microwaveable brown rice, frozen veggies; sparkling water
  • Snack: Plain yogurt with berries and a drizzle of honey
  • Dinner: Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce, side salad; unsweetened iced tea

Notice that the “after” day still uses convenience foods—it’s not perfect, but it significantly reduces ultra-processed items and increases fiber, healthy fats, and protective nutrients that support cardiovascular health.


What Cardiologists and Dietitians Want You to Focus On

Clinicians who follow the emerging research on ultra-processed foods and heart disease tend to emphasize a few consistent themes:

  • Pattern over perfection: Your overall eating pattern over months and years matters far more than any single meal.
  • Add before you subtract: Add fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains first; ultra-processed foods naturally get pushed out over time.
  • Combine nutrition with movement, sleep, and stress care: Heart health is multi-factorial. Even modest walks, better sleep, and stress management can amplify the benefits of dietary changes.
  • Personalization matters: People have different health conditions, cultural foods, and financial realities. Work with a healthcare professional when you can to tailor advice.
“If my patients can move from a diet where 70–80% of calories come from ultra-processed foods to something closer to 30–40%, we usually see improvements in blood pressure, lipids, weight, or simply how they feel day to day.”
— Preventive cardiologist, academic medical center

Safety, Limitations, and When to Talk to Your Doctor

While the science around ultra-processed foods is evolving, the general advice to emphasize whole and minimally processed foods is widely supported by major health organizations, including the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization.

You should especially bring up diet and ultra-processed foods with your clinician if you:

  • Have a personal or family history of heart disease or stroke.
  • Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes.
  • Have been told you have metabolic syndrome or fatty liver disease.
  • Rely heavily on packaged, ready-to-eat foods due to life circumstances.

Moving Forward: Small Shifts Today, Stronger Heart Tomorrow

The new research suggesting a 67% higher risk of heart disease among heavy consumers of ultra-processed foods is a wake-up call—but it doesn’t have to be a source of fear or shame. It’s an invitation to gently, steadily shift how we build our plates and stock our kitchens.

You don’t need a perfect, Instagram-ready diet to protect your heart. You need a series of small, repeatable choices: more real food, fewer engineered snacks and drinks, and a bit more awareness of what’s in your grocery cart.

A simple next step: This week, choose one ultra-processed item you have every day—maybe soda, chips, or a specific frozen meal—and experiment with a less-processed alternative. Track how you feel for a few days. Then decide your next tiny step.

Your heart health is shaped by what you do most of the time, not every single time. With steady, compassionate changes, you can lower your reliance on ultra-processed foods and give your heart a better chance to stay strong for years to come.