The association between ultra-processed foods consumption and cardiometabolic health: a review study

Tahergorabi, Reza; Sherafatinia, Amir Mohammad; Nikshoar, Ilia; Tahergorabi, Zoya; Farhadi, Abbas

Volume 33 - Supplementary J Transl Med Res. 2026, 33 - Supplementary: 6-25 | Back to browse issues page

Research code: ندارد

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Clinical trials code: ندارد

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Tahergorabi R, Sherafatinia A M, Nikshoar I, Tahergorabi Z, Farhadi A. The association between ultra-processed foods consumption and cardiometabolic health: a review study. J Transl Med Res. 2026; 33 :6-25
URL: http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-3589-en.html

The association between ultra-processed foods consumption and cardiometabolic health: a review study

Reza Tahergorabi¹, Amir Mohammad Sherafatinia²

, Ilia Nikshoar²

, Zoya Tahergorabi³

, Abbas Farhadi ^*⁴

1- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
2- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Geriatric Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
4- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran , abbas.farhadi@bums.ac.ir

Abstract: (423 Views)

Nowadays, cardiometabolic diseases are one of the leading causes of death and chronic disability worldwide and are considered one of the leading non-communicable diseases. Diet plays a central role in cardiovascular health; hence an unhealthy diet is one of the main behavioral factors associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Meanwhile, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have emerged as a dominant element of modern diets, raising concerns about their effects on cardiovascular health. Consumption of UPFs varies considerably across populations and is often higher in low-income communities. Therefore, promoting food security in the form of sustainable access to nutritious and affordable foods to reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases, as well as empowering consumers to make healthier food choices through educational and targeted interventions to promote food-literacy for families, seems essential. Therefore, this review study aimed to investigate the association between UPFs consumption and cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, using the results of various previous studies and the associated physiological mechanisms.

Keywords: Cardiometabolic diseases, Diabetes, Obesity, Ultra-processed foods

Full-Text [PDF 711 kb] (135 Downloads)

Type of Study: Review | Subject: Cardiology-
Received: 2026/02/1 | Accepted: 2026/03/10 | ePublished: 2026/03/6