If you’ve ever wondered whether all those packaged snacks, frozen meals, and fast food runs are really that bad for your heart – a new study has a pretty clear answer.
Researchers just published findings from one of the largest and most diverse heart health studies ever conducted in the U.S., and the results are hard to ignore.
What the Study Found
The study, published in JACC: Advances (2026), tracked over 6,800 adults between the ages of 45 and 84 as part of the MESA (Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort – a long-running project designed to understand heart disease risk across different racial and ethnic groups in America.
Participants were followed over time, and researchers tracked who experienced serious cardiovascular events – things like heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrest – and compared that to how much ultra-processed food (UPF) each person was eating.
The findings were striking:
- Every additional daily serving of ultra-processed food was associated with a 5% higher risk of a cardiovascular event.
- People who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a nearly 67% higher risk of heart disease compared to those who ate the least.
- The association was even stronger in Black Americans, who showed a significantly more pronounced increase in risk with higher UPF consumption.
Let those numbers sink in for a second. A 67% higher risk isn’t a small statistical blip – that’s a meaningful difference in real people’s lives.
What Counts as Ultra-Processed Food?
The researchers used the NOVA classification system, a globally recognized framework that categorizes food based on how heavily it’s been industrially processed. Ultra-processed foods are the ones that go far beyond basic cooking or preservation – they’re designed in labs, engineered for taste, and packed with additives you won’t find in a home kitchen.
Think:
- Packaged chips, cookies, and crackers
- Soda and sweetened beverages
- Frozen meals and fast food
- Deli meats and hot dogs
- Flavored yogurts and breakfast cereals
- Packaged breads and pastries
A good rule of thumb: if the ingredient list is long and full of things you can’t pronounce, it’s probably ultra-processed.
Why the Racial Disparity – and Why It’s Not About Biology
One of the most important findings of this study is the stronger association between UPF consumption and heart disease risk in Black Americans. It’s worth understanding why that is – because the answer has everything to do with systemic inequality and nothing to do with genetics.
Black communities in the U.S. are disproportionately located in food deserts – areas where fresh, affordable, whole foods are simply hard to find. Grocery stores stocking fresh produce may be miles away, while fast food restaurants and convenience stores stocked with ultra-processed options are right around the corner. When healthy food isn’t accessible or affordable, ultra-processed food often fills the gap – not because of personal choice, but because of circumstance.
Add to that the stress of living in under-resourced communities, economic pressures, and a healthcare system that has historically underserved Black Americans, and you get a compounding effect on cardiovascular health. The higher risk seen in this study reflects those inequities – it’s a public health and social justice issue, not a biological one.
This is why studies like MESA matter so much. Most nutrition research has historically focused on predominantly white populations. This study was specifically designed to be multiethnic and representative, which is how we can actually understand who is most at risk and why.
Why This Matters for a Plant-Based Diet
Here’s the encouraging part: a whole-food, plant-based diet naturally steers you away from most ultra-processed foods. Beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are as far from ultra-processed as food gets. They’re also some of the most heart-protective foods on the planet.
That said, “plant-based” doesn’t automatically mean “whole food.” Vegan hot dogs, plant-based deli slices, and many packaged meat alternatives are still ultra-processed – and this study’s findings apply to them just as much as to conventional junk food. Reading ingredient labels still matters, even when you’re eating plant-based.
The goal is to keep the foundation of your diet as close to real, whole foods as possible. Meals built around beans, vegetables, and whole grains – even quick, simple ones – are doing your heart a genuine service. And the good news is, eating this way doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
Small Shifts Add Up
You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Start by swapping one ultra-processed food a day for a whole food alternative. Replace a packaged snack with a handful of nuts. Swap soda for sparkling water with fruit. Cook a simple bean-based meal a few nights a week instead of reaching for a frozen option.
Over time, those small shifts compound – and so does the protection they offer your heart.
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These are exactly the kinds of whole food, plant-based meals that can help you move away from the ultra-processed foods this study warns about – without sacrificing flavor or your weeknight sanity.
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