Eye-opening study into ultra-processed foods and your risk of heart problemsMichelle Basch | *****@*****.tld March 28, 2026, 5:39 AM A report from the American College of Cardiology found people who eat more than nine servings of ultra-processed food a day are an average of 67% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, or die from heart disease than people who eat one serving a day. The study also found that with each daily serving, the risk of such an event goes up by more than 5%. Among Black Americans, each additional serving leads to an increase in risk of more than 6%. Dr. Michele Arthurs, a lifestyle medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente, told WTOP that if you’re not sure what you’re eating is ultra-processed, just look at the label. “You can see a long list of ingredients, many of which you may not be able to pronounce because they are additives or chemicals that are used for food preservation to increase shelf life,” she said. These kinds of foods also tend to be loaded with sugar, salt and saturated fat. “Our body, essentially, has to fight with them in order to kind of process them and get them through our system. And this leads to inflammation in the body,” Arthurs said. She recognized that many people may find it tough to stop eating ultra-processed foods altogether. Instead, she recommends limiting how much you eat. “It doesn’t mean you can’t have that ballpark hot dog,” Arthurs said, adding that cutting it in half and sharing it with someone was also an option. Other strategies Arthurs recommends to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods include: Eat a healthy meal before you head to an event, like a baseball game, where you know you’ll be exposed to a lot of ultra-processed foods. If you like sugary drinks, try alternating with ones that have little or no sugar. If you love snacking on chips, bring along an orange too, and eat the fruit before diving into the bag of chips. The findings, based on data from more than 6,800 U.S. adults, is being presented at the ACC’s Annual Scientific Session on March 28-30 in New Orleans. They’re also published in the journal JACC Advances. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. ARTICLE SOURCE: https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2026/03/eye-opening-study-into-ultra-processed-foods-and-your-risk-of-heart-problems/
G'day I'm Gabe 🌺
I'm a full time mum. Wife.
Love family and fun stuff.
I love traveling so far around Australia.
Every couple of years we do a road trip to the Outback.
So my story. I grew up being active outdoors fishing. Boating. Swimming anything beach.
For the last 20 years life has been major challenging.
4 babies. Lost my first. 2 inguinal hernias.
Last baby due to the Trainee Drs. Epidural went wrong. As well as having the factory shut. That lead to other complications ongoing. So a long time on pain meds. Etc. Trying to get the Drs to help me with this issue. Then I finally find a good Dr. They move on. Those issues haven't been sorted out. I have high blood pressure. And during COVID I got diagnosed with kidney issues too much protein in my kidneys.
I have been put on many tablets. It lead me to a few spells in hospital and last year a fractured foot.
I have been told to take ozempic I started on it. Lost some weight. Then because of not being available in Australia number of times. I put the weight on. Then I have been taking medication for diabetes.
I spend most of the time on the couch. It's physically challenging.
The Drs are no help. Don't listen. The insulin makes me really sick as well as the ozempic. Makes me really sick
I've asked the Drs for advice. If I should eat less meat to help reduce the protein.
I've tried vegetarian diets.
The medication instead of suppressing my appetite. Increased it
I had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. I was put on diet to limit the sugars from different foods and carbs.
Last year I was told different to eat more bread and carbs. The diabetes representative told me I was like the 100th person to end up on insulin because of the ozempic.
I've been on Cyclosporine. Neoral. Which lead to my sugars rising big time.
And couldn't go in the sun. It lead to other complications.
Sorry for my long post.
I'm interested in the Carnivore diet. And the benefits.
I gladly welcome all advice 🙏