{"id":101672,"date":"2026-06-16T00:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T07:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=101672"},"modified":"2026-06-16T08:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:33:03","slug":"not-just-the-ingredient-the-processing-of-ultra-processed-foods-look-to-be-part-of-the-health-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/doctrine\/not-just-the-ingredient-the-processing-of-ultra-processed-foods-look-to-be-part-of-the-health-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Not just the ingredients: The processing of ultra-processed foods look to be part of their health risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(\u00a92026 COGwriter)<\/em><\/p>\n

COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n

Ultraprocessed foods are dangerous and there have been many articles about them here at this COGwriter Church of God News page for years. Here is one from 2016:\u00a0Most calories for Americans come from ultra-processed \u2018foods\u2019<\/a>. Here is one from 2026:\u00a0Food Processing industry \u2018Can\u2019t Ignore the Science: Ultraprocessed Foods Are Killing Us\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But it is not just the ingredients, but how they are processed.<\/p>\n

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How Ultra-Processed Foods Are Made Matters as Much as What’s in Them<\/h2>\n

June 15, 2026<\/p>\n

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Public concern over the effects of ultra-processed foods has been growing. Research has increasingly associated these foods with a higher risk of conditions like\u00a0heart disease<\/a>,\u00a0diabetes<\/a>,\u00a0obesity<\/a>, and even\u00a0early death<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Despite these concerns, ultra-processed foods make up around 55%Trusted Source<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0of the American diet.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cUPFs [ultra-processed foods] do offer some advantages, but at the expense of the consumer\u2019s health. They are convenient, affordable, have a long shelf life, and are often engineered to be highly palatable, which contributes to their widespread consumption,\u201d said\u00a0Mir Ali<\/a>, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. Ali was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBecause of these factors, UPFs are extremely prevalent in the modern diet. While many people are generally aware that these foods are not optimal for health, convenience and taste often drive decision making,\u201d he told Healthline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Experts are also still looking into exactly what drives the risks from ultra-processed foods. …<\/p>\n

A\u00a0recent study published in the\u00a0American Journal of Public Health (AJPH)<\/a> suggests that processing may actually play an independent role in the health risks posed by ultra-processed foods. The researchers found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods had worse health outcomes. This was evident even after accounting for the overall nutritional values of the foods. …<\/p>\n

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The study showed that for every 10% increase in calories from ultra-processed foods, individuals had worse health markers. Those who ate larger amounts of ultra-processed foods tended to have:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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