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 hear a lot of carnivores, especially BBBE carnivores, talking about how much they love bacon. It's quite possibly the easiest thing to eat in our diet. However, I hardly ever hear them mention sugar-free bacon, which I feel like even loose carnivores should only eat, bacon-wise. I hope that this is just assumed, but I'm sure people will figure that out. Now what about 100% strict carnivores who want to eat their sugar-free bacon from the grocery store? Chances are it has spices, vinegar or celery extract, all of which come from plants. After a quick search, I found an article that provides a list of keto Whole30 compliant bacon brands and where to find them, four of which, amazingly, have no plant products whatsoever in their ingredients! If preservatives are a strong no for you, these also won't do because only one of them doesn't have any preservatives either (the U.S Wellness one). They are: Market Pantry Hardwood Smoked Classic Cut Reduced Sodium Bacon from Target, Kirkland Signature Thick Sliced Lower Sodium Bacon from Costco, U.S Wellness Sugar Free Pork Bacon Slices from the U.S Wellness website, and Smithfield Hickory Smoked Lower Sodium Bacon from Walmart. So if you've been wondering how to eat fully carnivore-compliant bacon, that's how.
https://www.wholekitchensink.com/whole30-compliant-bacon/
Edited by Carnivore Konner