Eye-opening study into ultra-processed foods and your risk of heart problems

Michelle 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.

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ARTICLE SOURCE: https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2026/03/eye-opening-study-into-ultra-processed-foods-and-your-risk-of-heart-problems/

7 hours ago, Bob 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.

Yeah wouldn’t want to actually tell them to stop eating the poison that’s killing them. Let’s just reduce the dose.

On 3/30/2026 at 8:12 AM, Bob said:

“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.

Wanna split a hotdog @Geezy ? Ironically the hot dog is probably one of the least of one's processed food concerns.

On 3/30/2026 at 8:12 AM, Bob said:

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 first bullet point is the only one that's good advice.

The second bullet point should be "eliminate sugary drinks altogether. You're not a child"

The 3rd bullet point should read "bring along an orange, and never ever open a bag of chips" lol

Of all the foods I would ever split, I don't think the hotdog would rank anywhere near the top, or even be considered at all.

The 2nd and 3rd bullet points would almost make sense if it were like "week 1-follow bullet points #2 and #3" and then week 2-phase them out".

I went cold turkey when I switched to carnivore. I have read that it is easier with a gradual change.

I would like to think that is part of the plan but the pessimist in me says if they get you to cut it in half you will go back to 'full service' within a few weeks. This will keep the poison flowing in one direction and the profits flowing in another.

Scott

On 4/2/2026 at 8:32 PM, Scott F. said:

I went cold turkey when I switched to carnivore. I have read that it is easier with a gradual change.

I would like to think that is part of the plan but the pessimist in me says if they get you to cut it in half you will go back to 'full service' within a few weeks.

The gradual transition potentially eases or eliminates the keto-flu and withdrawal symptoms. But at the same time, if you're easing in, you can easily ease back out too because you're still potentially feeding the addiction. That's why some prefer cold turkey. Just muscle through it and get it over with.

Better advice. Think of ultra processed foods as if they are cigarettes. Because that's exactly how healthy they are

On 4/7/2026 at 2:20 PM, Miranda said:

Better advice. Think of ultra processed foods as if they are cigarettes. Because that's exactly how healthy they are

Yes! I like this. Great comparison.