# BMJ Nutrition review of 14 studies: ultra-processed food groups differ in diabetes and hypertension risk

- Published: 2026-11-14 00:30 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Agritech & food
- Tags: ultra-processed foods, Nova classification, type 2 diabetes risk, hypertension risk, processed meat, sweetened beverages, breakfast cereals, BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, EPIC cohort, cardiometabolic disease
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-852c89539af1126bf16a6264_bmj_nutrition_review/

**A review of 14 publications links processed meats and sweetened drinks to higher cardiometabolic risk, while breads, biscuits and breakfast cereals are linked to lower risk.**

![BMJ Nutrition review of 14 studies: ultra-processed food groups differ in diabetes and hypertension risk](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/f18c18c909febf72.jpg)
*Cory Doctorow, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

A review in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health (nutrition.bmj.com) analysed how different groups of ultra-processed foods relate to cardiometabolic disease. The search of PubMed returned 309 records. Fourteen publications that separated ultra-processed foods into subgroups were included: 12 prospective studies and two randomised clinical trials [1].

## Groups linked to higher risk

The Nova system sorts foods into four categories by degree and methods of processing, and 'ultra-processed' marks the most extensive processing. In seven prospective studies on diabetes, ultra-processed foods as a group were associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, but the food groups differed markedly [1]. Positive associations with adverse outcomes were found for processed meats, sweetened beverages (sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened), and fats, spreads and sauces [1].

In the EPIC cohort of 311,892 people, each 10% g/day higher intake of savoury snacks (HR 2.77; 95% CI 1.09 to 7.05), animal-based products (HR 2.25; 95% CI 1.96 to 2.57) and sweetened beverages (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.28) was associated with higher incidence of type 2 diabetes [1]. In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (31,172 Americans), the highest quartile of sweetened beverages, ultra-processed meats and sugary snacks was associated with 29%, 21% and 16% higher diabetes risk than the lowest quartile [1].

## Groups linked to lower risk

Other ultra-processed foods were associated with lower risk, mainly breads, biscuits and breakfast cereals, and whole grains [1]. In EPIC, breads, biscuits and breakfast cereals had HR 0.65 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.73), and plant-based alternatives had HR 0.46 (95% CI 0.26 to 0.82) [1]. Results for sweets and desserts were mixed: ice cream was linked to higher diabetes risk in some cohorts, while candy and chocolate were linked to lower risk in others [1].

For hypertension, a study of 8,293 people compared the highest and lowest consumption groups. Sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with 16% higher risk, red and processed meat with 10% and margarine with 6%. Breakfast cereals and dairy products were associated with 10% and 11% lower risk.

The review also reports that randomised clinical trials show health benefits from replacing animal products with plant-based foods, even processed ones. The authors suggest that the Nova system could be improved by distinguishing animal from plant foods [1].

## Sources

1. [nutrition.bmj.com](https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2026/01/05/bmjnph-2025-001358)
2. [socportal.info](https://socportal.info/ru/news/kakie-ultrapererabotannye-produkty-svyazany-s-povyshennym-riskom-diabeta-i-gipertonii-vyyasnili-uchenye)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-852c89539af1126bf16a6264_bmj_nutrition_review/