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/
I used to drink fairly often. I started off as a "social" drinker, but I would take part in social occasions very frequently in my youth. Eventually, I would start stocking something at home. For a time, I would always have a beer or two with dinner, and then a shot of bourbon to help me go to sleep. This was my pattern for a while. For one anniversary, my wife even got this cute little bar looking thing that held the bottles upside down and you could press a glass against them and dispense whatever you had there.
In the past, when I would do low-carb dirty keto, I would devise ways to have a low carb or zero carb drink. I would still make it work and manage to lose weight. But this spring, when I decided to really take charge of doing something about my health, I went clean keto and then carnivore, and there was no more room for a daily drink, or even a weekly drink. This is for me, of course - your mileage may vary.
Since starting this WOE and losing 50 lbs, I have only had a shot of bourbon (my favorite drink) in the first Tuesday of every month, when we go out to support my cousin's Open Mic Night. Outside of that, nothing. I have several bottles on top of my fridge of things I haven't touched in 7-8 months. My wife use to sell wine, and we have tons of that too. It's all collecting dust.
What about you? Do you still drink alcohol?
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