We're told to limit processed foods, but do we know what that means?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-07-09 01:00

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Researchers often recommend limiting ultra-processed foods to reduce the risk of disease, but much of the public don't know what that means, according to US research. The researchers surveyed just over 2,000 Americans online, asking them to identify processed foods and what foods increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers say no single processed food was identified by a majority of the participants, and the responses were highly subjective and largely unrelated to the current research. They say health messaging around processed food likely needs to be more specific about the types of foods to be wary of and why.

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Research JAMA, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: George Washington University, USA

Funder: Dr Barnard reported serving without compensation as president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Barnard Medical Center inWashington, DC. Dr Barnard reported receiving royalties and honoraria from books and articles he has authored and giving lectures about nutrition and health outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

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