With the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans making headlines, a lot of people are feeling confused — especially around the word ultra‑processed. It’s become a catch‑all term that lumps everything from hot dogs to whole‑grain cereal into the same bucket, and that can lead to some pretty misleading conclusions.
A new review published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health helps bring some clarity. Researchers looked at 14 studies examining how different types of processed foods affect our risk for heart disease, diabetes, and overall mortality. Their findings highlighted an important difference:
- Ultra‑processed animal products — like bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, and ready‑to‑eat meat dishes — were consistently linked with higher rates of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and early death.
- These foods tend to be high in saturated fat, sodium, and nitrates/nitrites, which drive inflammation, blood pressure, and insulin resistance — the very things that raise our risk for chronic disease.
- Ultra‑processed plant-based foods, on the other hand — things like whole‑grain breads, cereals, and even plant‑based meat alternatives — were associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart‑disease mortality.
Why the difference?
Fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients — along with the absence of heme iron and high saturated fat — support healthier blood sugar and cholesterol levels and reduce the inflammation that drives chronic disease.
Fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients — along with the absence of heme iron and high saturated fat — support healthier blood sugar and cholesterol levels and reduce the inflammation that drives chronic disease.
One of the most interesting takeaways from the review is this:
Not all ultra‑processed foods behave the same in the body.
Plant-based and animal-based products simply don’t have the same health impact, even if they fall under the same processing category.
Not all ultra‑processed foods behave the same in the body.
Plant-based and animal-based products simply don’t have the same health impact, even if they fall under the same processing category.
This matters right now because the new Guidelines give more attention to meat and dairy — and for some people, that may feel like a green light to lean harder into animal-heavy eating. But decades of research still point in the same direction: more plants, fewer ultra‑processed animal products, and habits that support long-term health.
And just to be clear — I eat processed foods too. Sprouted‑grain bread, canned beans, plant-based milks, powdered tea, tofu, “meat” crumbles, and ground spices are all technically processed, but they’re what I call gently processed foods. They make healthy eating easier, they support my goals, and they fit beautifully into a plant‑forward life. Not all processing is the same, and these kinds of foods can absolutely be part of a healthy routine.
At the end of the day, the basics haven’t changed.
Vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils, whole grains, and plant-forward meals still do the heavy lifting for our heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils, whole grains, and plant-forward meals still do the heavy lifting for our heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
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