Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Increased Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: The ELSA-Brasil

Avid consumption of ultra-processed foods may lead to the development of metabolic syndrome in men and women.

This study examined whether increased dietary exposure to ultra-processed foods can confer an individual with high risk of acquiring metabolic syndrome. Researchers compared ultra-processed food intake levels with the incidence of metabolic syndrome in a study group consisting of 15,105 Brazilian men and women aged 35-74 years.

Researchers found a high proportion of cases of metabolic syndrome among participants at the top of the ultra-processed food consumption ladder. Evidence from this study pointed out that the odds of having metabolic syndrome may be stacked against ultra-processed food eaters.