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Ultra-processed foods increase cardiometabolic risk in children
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A study conducted by the Human Nutrition Group of the University Rovira i Virgili (URV) has found that consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of being overweight, increased blood sugar levels and worsening levels of "good" cholesterol.
High consumption of ultra-processed foods in childhood is associated with poor cardiometabolic health. This is the main conclusion of a study conducted by the URV Human Nutrition Research Group in collaboration with the Pere Virgili Institute of Health (IISPV) and the Biomedical Research Centre for the Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN).
The study included boys and girls aged 3 to 6 years, and the main results were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Ultra-processed foods are typically high in saturated fat, sugar, salt, additives, and contaminants, while being low in nutrients. However, baked goods, sodas, milkshakes, and snacks are often part of children's diets.
To study their impact on health in the first years of life, the researchers assessed how consumption of these products affected more than 1,500 boys and girls aged 3 to 6 years from different locations (Reus, Cordoba, Santiago de Compostela, Navarre, Valencia, Barcelona and Zaragoza) participating in the multicentre CORALS study.
The results showed that children who consumed more ultra-processed foods had higher measures of body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass index and blood sugar levels. They also had lower levels of HDL cholesterol – considered the “good” cholesterol – in their blood.
"Our findings are concerning," says Nancy Babio, the study's principal investigator. "While the magnitude of the associations we found may be clinically small, the boys and girls in our study were very young, but even so, there was a significant association between their consumption and these parameters," she adds.
For the research team, these results should be seen as an early warning of what might happen in the future. "It is important to recognize the significance of early dietary habits and their future consequences for cardiometabolic health," emphasizes Babio.
The study also shows that children of mothers with low levels of education or lower socioeconomic levels tend to consume more ultra-processed foods, making them vulnerable to health problems later in life.
"Given all this, public health policies should target vulnerable populations," says Jordi Salas-Salvado, director of the research group, who also recommends replacing these foods with healthier options, such as unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Low price and ready
Ultra-processed foods are becoming increasingly common in the diet. Their ready availability and low price mean that they are widely consumed, especially by children, adolescents and their families, and in particular by those who are most vulnerable from a socio-economic and educational point of view and who are more prone to obesity.
In this regard, the study highlights the urgent need to address the problem of excessive consumption of these products by children and the importance of developing public policies and taking preventive measures to protect the long-term health of future generations.