Cutting Ultra-Processed Foods in Half Leads to Major Health Improvements

Research shows people saw weight loss, more energy, and reduced risk of chronic diseases when they reduced ultra-processed foods.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Cutting your intake of ultra-processed foods in half could lead to significant health benefits, including more energy, weight loss, and a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health conditions in the long-term. Experts say small changes like prioritizing whole foods, reading labels, and cooking at home can make it easier to cut back on ultra-processed foods.

Why it matters

Ultra-processed foods make up a large portion of the average American's diet, but contain little to no nutritional value and are packed with artificial ingredients. Reducing consumption of these foods could have major implications for public health, as research links ultra-processed food intake to increased risks of chronic diseases.

The details

A recent study had 14 adults who ate at least two ultra-processed foods per day participate in an 8-week program focused on reducing their intake. By the end, participants saw significant improvements, including eating 600 fewer calories per day on average, reducing sugar consumption by 50%, cutting saturated fat by 37%, and decreasing sodium by 28%. Participants also reported benefits like better skin, less swelling, improved mood, more energy, and an average weight loss of 7.7 pounds.

  • The 8-week study program ran from January to March 2024.

The players

Sapana Shah, MD, MPH

Clinical associate professor of medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and internist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

Charlotte Hagerman, PhD

Assistant research professor at Drexel University and co-author of the study.

Tamar Samuels, RD

Registered dietitian and co-founder of Culina Health.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Highly processed foods are often calorie-dense, higher in refined grains, sugar, saturated fat, and salt, and lower in fiber and other important nutrients.”

— Sapana Shah, MD, MPH, Clinical associate professor of medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and internist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue (Health.com)

“The results were very promising. Behavioral programs can help people reduce their ultra-processed food intake by a large amount, at least for a short time.”

— Charlotte Hagerman, PhD, Assistant research professor at Drexel University (Health.com)

“Instead of eliminating all ultra-processed foods at once, slowly reduce intake to create sustainable habits.”

— Tamar Samuels, RD, Registered dietitian and co-founder of Culina Health (Health.com)

What’s next

Researchers say more long-term studies are needed to fully understand the health impacts of reducing ultra-processed food consumption, and to potentially lead to updated dietary guidelines.

The takeaway

Cutting back on ultra-processed foods, even by just half, can have significant benefits for both short-term and long-term health. Small, sustainable changes like prioritizing whole foods, reading labels, and cooking at home can make it easier to reduce ultra-processed food intake and improve overall wellbeing.