Ultra-processed food and the risk of overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & the PRISMA Group* (2009) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135 · Cited by 37,554

Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta‐analysis

Higgins, J. P. T., & Thompson, S. G. (2002) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.1186 · Cited by 36,763

Critical evaluation of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the assessment of the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses

Stang, A. (2010) · European Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s10654-010-9491-z · Cited by 17,396

Trim and Fill: A Simple Funnel‐Plot–Based Method of Testing and Adjusting for Publication Bias in Meta‐Analysis

Duval, S., & Tweedie, R. (2000) · Biometrics · doi:10.1111/j.0006-341x.2000.00455.x · Cited by 14,099

Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

Hall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., Cai, H., Cassimatis, T., Chen, K. Y., Chung, S. T., Costa, E., Courville, A., Darcey, V., et al. (2019) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008 · Cited by 1,971

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort.

Fiolet, T., Srour, B., Sellem, L., Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Méjean, C., Deschasaux, M., Fassier, P., Latino-Martel, P., Beslay, M., et al. (2018) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.k322 · Cited by 1,057

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Brazilian adolescents and adults

Louzada, M. L. D. C., Baraldi, L. G., Steele, E. M., Martins, A. P. B., Canella, D. S., Moubarac, J.-C., Levy, R. B., Cannon, G., Afshin, A., Imamura, F., et al. (2015) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.07.018 · Cited by 656

Ultra-Processed Food Products and Obesity in Brazilian Households (2008–2009)

Canella, D. S., Levy, R. B., Martins, A. P. B., Claro, R. M., Moubarac, J.-C., Baraldi, L. G., Cannon, G., & Monteiro, C. A. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092752 · Cited by 535

Ultra‐processed food consumption and the incidence of hypertension in a Mediterranean cohort: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra project

Mendonça, R. D. D., Lopes, A. C. S., Pimenta, A. M., Gea, A., Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2017) · American Journal of Hypertension · doi:10.1093/ajh/hpw137 · Cited by 488

Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: A preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods

Fardet, A. (2016) · Food & Function · doi:10.1039/c6fo00107f · Cited by 356

Ultra-processed foods and human health: from epidemiological evidence to mechanistic insights

Srour, B., Kordahi, M. C., Bonazzi, E., Deschasaux-Tanguy, M., Touvier, M., & Chassaing, B. (2022) · The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1016/s2468-1253(22)00169-8 · Cited by 303

The Role of Diet Quality in Mediating the Association between Ultra-Processed Food Intake, Obesity and Health-Related Outcomes: A Review of Prospective Cohort Studies

Dicken, S. J., & Batterham, R. L. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14010023 · Cited by 256

Consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados no Brasil: distribuição e evolução temporal 2008–2018

Louzada, M. L. D. C., Cruz, G. L. D., Silva, K. A. A. N., Grassi, A. G. F., Andrade, G. C., Rauber, F., Levy, R. B., & Monteiro, C. A. (2023) · Revista de Saúde Pública · doi:10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004744 · Cited by 178

Ultra-processed foods and human health: An umbrella review and updated meta-analyses of observational evidence

Dai, S., Wellens, J., Yang, N., Li, D., Wang, J., Wang, L., Yuan, S., He, Y., Song, P., Munger, R., et al. (2024) · Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2024.04.016 · Cited by 161

Ultra-processed food consumption and adult obesity risk: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

Moradi, S., Entezari, M. H., Mohammadi, H., Jayedi, A., Lazaridi, A.-V., Kermani, M. A. H., & Miraghajani, M. (2023) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1946005 · Cited by 142

Ultra‐Processed Food and Obesity: What Is the Evidence?

Dicken, S. J., & Batterham, R. L. (2024) · Current Nutrition Reports · doi:10.1007/s13668-024-00517-z · Cited by 133

Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption Increases the Risk of Hypertension in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Wang, M., Du, X., Huang, W., & Xu, Y. (2022) · American Journal of Hypertension · doi:10.1093/ajh/hpac069 · Cited by 80

Ultra-Processed Food Intake Is Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Henney, A. E., Gillespie, C. S., Alam, U., Hydes, T. J., & Cuthbertson, D. J. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15102266 · Cited by 74

Cognitive Impairment and Metabolite Profile Alterations in the Hippocampus and Cortex of Male and Female Mice Exposed to a Fat and Sugar-Rich Diet are Normalized by Diet Reversal

Garcia-Serrano, A. M., Mohr, A. A., Philippe, J., Skoug, C., Spégel, P., & Duarte, J. M. N. (2022) · Aging and disease · doi:10.14336/ad.2021.0720 · Cited by 55

Maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods and subsequent risk of offspring overweight or obesity: Results from three prospective cohort studies

Wang, Y., Wang, K., Du, M., Khandpur, N., Rossato, S. L., Lo, C.-H., VanEvery, H., Kim, D. Y., Zhang, F. F., Chavarro, J. E., et al. (2022) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-071767 · Cited by 55

Reproducibility and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (NFFQ) to assess food consumption based on the NOVA classification in adults

Dinu, M., Bonaccio, M., Martini, D., Madarena, M. P., Vitale, M., Pagliai, G., Esposito, S., Ferraris, C., Guglielmetti, M., Rosi, A., et al. (2021) · International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/09637486.2021.1880552 · Cited by 54

Ultra-processed diet, systemic oxidative stress, and breach of immunologic tolerance

Martínez Leo, E. E., Peñafiel, A. M., Hernández Escalante, V. M., & Cabrera Araujo, Z. M. (2021) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2021.111419 · Cited by 49

Ultra-processed food consumption and exposure to acrylamide in a nationally representative sample of the US population aged 6 years and older

Martínez Steele, E., Buckley, J. P., & Monteiro, C. A. (2023) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107598 · Cited by 36

Influence of culinary skills on ultraprocessed food consumption and Mediterranean diet adherence: An integrative review

Watanabe, J. A., Nieto, J. A., Suarez-Diéguez, T., & Silva, M. (2024) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2024.112354 · Cited by 35

Association between ultra-processed food and flavonoid intakes in a nationally representative sample of the US population

Leitão, A. E., Roschel, H., Oliveira-Júnior, G., Genario, R., Franco, T., Monteiro, C. A., & Martinez-Steele, E. (2024) · British Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s0007114523002568 · Cited by 18

Association Between Ultra-processed Food Consumption and Mortality Among US Adults: Prospective Cohort Study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2018

Wang, L., Steele, E. M., Du, M., Luo, H., Zhang, X., Mozaffarian, D., & Zhang, F. F. (2025) · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · doi:10.1016/j.jand.2024.11.014 · Cited by 16

Evaluating intake levels of nutrients linked to non-communicable diseases in Australia using the novel combination of food processing and nutrient profiling metrics of the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model

Machado, P., Cediel, G., Woods, J., Baker, P., Dickie, S., Gomes, F. S., Scrinis, G., & Lawrence, M. (2022) · European Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1007/s00394-021-02740-8 · Cited by 15

Consumo alimentar da população urbana em um município da Amazônia Legal, nos eventos climáticos de inundação e seca estudo comparativo

Guimarães, P. D. S., Costa, G. D. S., Lopes, A. F., Chamy, M. N. C. L., & Santos, V. L. C. D. G. (2024) · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · doi:10.1590/0102-311xpt110223 · Cited by 4