Eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) causes distinct metabolic “signatures” in the blood that are associated with potentially harmful health conditions, a new study by an international team of researchers has found.
Peer-reviewed articles published in journals Critical reviews in food science and nutritionwere the first researchers to use targeted metabolomics (the scientific study of chemical processes involved in cellular metabolism) to investigate the effects of UPF intake on a large European cohort.
Emerging evidence shows that UPF intake is associated with increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, mortality, and obesity, but the biological explanation for this remains unclear. To gain insight into potential metabolic pathways linking UPF to poor health, Dr. Jessica Blanco-Lopez and colleagues at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) used data from 15,200 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study to identify the molecular signatures of UPF intake.
The researchers asked participants about their diet and categorized the results using the Nova system, which categorizes foods into four groups, from unprocessed to ultra-processed. The researchers also measured levels of metabolites (intermediates or end products of metabolism) and small molecules called fatty acids (FAs) in blood samples taken from the participants. We then used regression modeling to identify metabolite and FA “signatures” associated with UPF consumption while accounting for demographic, lifestyle, and other confounding factors.
UPF intake was found to be associated with 22 circulating metabolites. Increased UPF consumption was associated with increased abundance of certain lipid derivatives that are biomarkers of impaired fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as decreased abundance of several other lipids essential for cell membrane stability, permeability, and cell signaling. This metabolic signature suggests that UPF consumption stimulates the synthesis of endogenous lipids (fatty compounds such as cholesterol) and may inhibit healthy lipid processing.
UPF intake was also associated with eight plasma FAs. Increased UPF intake resulted in a pattern of high stearic acid levels along with high levels of long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (indicating high saturated fat intake or metabolic problems), suggesting that the metabolic effects of UPF extend beyond fat content and stimulate internal lipid synthesis from excess dietary carbohydrates. This association further supports that even low levels of industrial fat exposure persist in the circulation.
“These findings have several implications,” said Dr. Jessica Blanco López, whose background in pediatrics and oncology led her to research into nutrition and metabolism. “The simultaneous decrease in protective FA and increase in metabolic stress suggests that UPF intake may contribute to health risks by inducing nutritional imbalances and metabolic derangements.”
“Our study highlights the potential metabolic effects of UPF and highlights the need for further research using targeted and non-targeted metabolomics approaches to elucidate the biological pathways linking food processing to chronic disease and mortality.”
Limitations of the paper include that the study did not follow people over many years, but rather observed them at one point in time. For this reason, the research team cannot definitively say that eating ultra-processed foods is good for you. cause The metabolic changes they discovered
All I can say is that these two things are related or linked.
We spent a significant amount of time evaluating and refining our analytical approach, testing several different methodologies and strategies throughout the process.
What was particularly reassuring was that despite these different approaches, the results were surprisingly consistent. This further increased our confidence in the robustness and reliability of our findings. ”
Dr. Jessica Blanco Lopez, International Agency for Research on Cancer
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Reference magazines:
Blanco-Lopez, J. Others. (2026). Circulating metabolites and fatty acids associated with consumption of ultra-processed foods: Results from the EPIC study. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2026.2629025. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2026.2629025
