Heart disease, cancer, diabetes — these and other concerning health effects have been tied to “ultraprocessed foods,” which make up more than half of the calories consumed in the U.S. Eating large amounts of these foods, which are high in salt, sugars and additives, may even increase a person’s risk of early death.
There’s growing awareness around the potential harms of these products, but which foods count as “ultraprocessed” is not always clear.
So what, exactly, are ultraprocessed foods?
Dispatches From The Front 