Ultraprocessed foods are dangerous to your health. Here’s how you can avoid them.

From the desk of Miles Everson:

I hope your week is going well!

Every Friday, I share insights on health, wealth, well-being, happiness, the future of work, book reviews, marketing, tips, and more in the hopes of enabling you to take your career and personal life to the next level.

Today, I will tackle a health-related topic that many of us can relate to.

Keep reading below to know more.

Ultraprocessed foods are dangerous to your health. Here’s how you can avoid them.

For many high performers and leaders, the workweek is a marathon filled with meetings and hours of hard work. As a result, every minute and hour is optimized to maximize productivity.

Unfortunately, this laser-sharp focus often comes at a steep price. For many, this means less time dedicated to personal stuff, sleep, and proper nutrition.

With productivity front and center, proper nutrition is giving way to convenience, resulting in diets composed of ultraprocessed foods. 

Ultraprocessed foods have been linked to conditions such as obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. It’s estimated that roughly 55% of the calories Americans consume each day are made up of these highly processed foods.

The term is used to define food items containing ingredients high-fructose corn syrup or soy protein isolate—ingredients that contain additives that enhance flavor, color, or texture.

This type of food also contains high levels of saturated fat, salt, and sugar. They’re typically found in packaged snacks, instant soups, frozen pizzas, and the likes.

What’s more? 

Ultraprocessed foods are generally low in fiber and high in emulsifiers, making them harmful to a person’s gut health.

In a  2025 study , researchers found that people who consumed the largest amounts of ultraprocessed foods were more likely to have higher body mass index, waist size, blood pressure, and insulin levels compared to those who consumed minimum amounts of these foods.

Many have criticized the foods and have encouraged others to avoid them entirely due to the poor health outcomes caused by overconsumption of these.

That said, how can you avoid them entirely (or at least reduce your consumption)?

First,  aim to reduce your intake of sugary drinks and consumption of ultraprocessed meats .

Sugary drinks have been linked to higher risks of obesity and diabetes. Meanwhile, ultraprocessed meats contain high amounts of sodium, the consumption of which leads to higher blood pressure, raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Next,  avoid eating junk food . Just like the food items above, these are high in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars. 

Another step to take is  limiting your intake of energy-dense or ready-to-eat snacks and meals . While it’s best to not consume these foods altogether, there will be times when you might have to due to convenience.

When that happens, look for products that contain less than 1.5 calories per gram. Ultraprocessed foods are typically energy-dense. Hence, they contain more calories per gram than less-processed food items.

Speaking of checking labels, be sure to watch out for the following additives:

Some ultraprocessed foods contain harmful additives like  aspartame —a sweetener linked to increased risk of cancer—and  titanium dioxide, a color additive that was banned in the EU for use in food because it has been linked to inflammation, DNA damage, and immune system problems.

Emulsifiers, additives used to improve the texture of food, have been linked to higher risks of heart diseases and Type 2 diabetes. 

According to Andrew Gewirtz, a researcher who has conducted research tackling emulsifiers, the most concerning ones are  carboxymethylcellulose  and  polysorbate 80.

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There’s no denying ultraprocessed foods are convenient and handy to eat when you’re being crunched for time. However, excessive consumption of these foods could lead to adverse health outcomes down the line.

This is why even though it might be difficult and tricky, it’s still worthwhile to curb your consumption of these foods whenever possible.

After all, the challenge of ditching them entirely pales in comparison to the difficulties you’ll face if your health worsens.

So, the next time you go out for groceries or look for a bite to eat, consider taking the extra time in making sure you won’t pick up ultraprocessed foods!

Trust us, your future self will thank you for doing so.

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