Study of 200,000 Finds Diet Quality Beats Food Processing for Long-Term Health
Updated
Updated · EurekAlert · Jul 28
Study of 200,000 Finds Diet Quality Beats Food Processing for Long-Term Health
1 articles · Updated · EurekAlert · Jul 28
Summary
More than 200,000 U.S. adults followed from the 1980s through the 2020s showed lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and death with healthier diets, regardless of whether foods were ultra-processed or minimally processed.
About half of participants eventually died or developed one of those conditions, and risks were nearly identical within healthy and unhealthy diet groups once overall diet quality was separated from processing level.
The analysis used three long-running cohorts, the plant-based diet index and Nova food classifications to compare healthy and unhealthy plant-based eating patterns across different processing levels.
Xiaowen Wang said the findings challenge advice to broadly avoid ultra-processed foods, arguing guidelines should emphasize nutrient-dense patterns such as Mediterranean or healthy plant-based diets instead.
The results were presented at NUTRITION 2026 and remain preliminary because the conference abstract has not yet undergone full peer review.