India, July 9 -- Eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) leaves a clear 'metabolic signature' in the blood that is linked to health problems, according to a new international study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
Researchers, led by Dr. Jessica Blanco-Lopez from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), analyzed data from 15,200 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.
Participants were asked about their eating habits, and their diets were grouped using the Nova food classification system, which ranks foods from unprocessed to ultra-processed. The researchers also tested blood samples to measure metabolites and fatty acids. They then used...