A large Canadian study connects ultra-transformed foods at serious risks to health, discovering biological signs of inflammation and metabolic dysfunction which persist independently of the weight or lifestyle.
Chips, frozen pizza, sweet breakfast cereals-these ultra-adjustment foods are practical and popular, but a revolutionary Canadian study has confirmed that they are strongly linked to serious health risks.
Researchers at McMaster University have explored how food diets rich in ultra-transformed foods (often filled with fats, sugar and additives) affect key health indicators. They found clear connections between these foods and higher blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, larger sizes and an increase in the body mass index (
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This is the first study in Canada to use large-scale population data as well as powerful analyzes of biomarkers to dig into the real impact of ultra-adjustment on our health.
The research team analyzed data of more than 6,000 adults across the country. Participants came from a wide range of ages, health conditions and income levels. Each person has fulfilled a detailed questionnaire in the Canadian Survey on Health Measures, managed by Health Canada and Statistics Canada, then received health assessments in person in mobile clinics.
Clear models and risk profiles
People who consumed the most of the UPF were more likely to be men and have lower income levels, less education and to have reported a lower fruit and vegetable consumption. They had a significantly higher BMI, the waist, blood pressure,
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Researchers have noted that many links between UPF consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors have remained significant even after IMC adjustment, which suggests that ultra-tangle food can influence health thanks to mechanisms beyond weight gain, such as inflammation, resistance to insulin and poor metabolic regulations- Type 2 diabetes.
The associations persisted even after adjusting physical activity, smoking, the total quantity of food consumed and socio-economic factors, including income and education.
“We have this very complex food supply which is more than the nutritional composition of a food,” explains Anthea Christiforou, assistant professor in the Kinesiology Department of McMaster University and the main author of the newspaper.
“It can be additives. The way food is prepared. It is linked to the packaging and marketing of this food. All these things come together to create this food environment that really affects the health of our diet. ”
Biological signs of prejudice
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition and metabolismdiscovered a strong association between UPF consumption and the presence of C-reactive protein (CRP), which the liver produced in response to inflammation, as well as an increase in white blood cells.
“These two biomarkers indicate that these foods cause an inflammatory response in our body. In a sense, this suggests that our bodies consider them non-alimentation, as a kind of other elements, ”explains Christiforou.
UPFs are ready -to -eat and preliminary foods, often rich in sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats, while being low in fiber, minerals and vitamins. They are often more practical, strongly marketed and call for consumers in time, factors that can contribute to higher consumption among low -income groups and growing health disparities.
The researchers point out that these foods have dominated the global food supply, especially in medium and high income countries. Participants in the Canadian study consumed on average more than three portions of UPF per day, but those who consumed the highest amounts were on average six portions per day, and researchers think that the UPFS can replace healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables.
A call for policies reform
“Ultra-transformed food has an impact on health in all socio-economic groups,” explains Angelina Baric, a graduate student of the McMaster Kinesiology department and co-author of the study. “While some populations are more exposed to these foods, our results show that health risks persist independently of income and education.
Health Canada is currently recommends reducing the consumption of processed foods as part of its healthy food directives and has started to consult wider strategies to limit UPF in Canadian food supply.
“We have found coherent evidence that ultra-treble food consumption is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, which not only reinforces the evidence that we have seen these foods with the increase in overweight and obesity rates in Canada and other parts of the world, but also provides more detailed information about what is happening in the body before a complete disease,” explains Baric.
In the future, the research team plans to develop a study on the eating habits of children linked to processed food and the health of women, by focusing on fertility, rules and the appearance of menopause.
They also study the biological mechanisms by which UPFS can trigger inflammation and metabolic dysfunction and explore the role of affordability and food environments in the conduct of UPF consumption – in order to inform more equitable public health strategies.
Reference: “Ultra-transformed food consumption and Cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a transversal analysis of the Canadian Survey on Health Measures” by Angelina Baric, Vasanti S. Malik and Anthea Christiforou, May 7, 2025, Nutrition and metabolism.
DOI: 10.1186 / S12986-025-00935-Y
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