Ultra-processed diets raise heart risk, hitting Black Americans hardest
A diverse US study of about 6,800 adults over roughly 12 years found that each daily serving of ultra-processed foods is linked to higher cardiovascular risk, with Black Americans experiencing nearly double the per-serving increase (6.1% vs 3.2% for other groups); the study, using MESA data, points to foods like chips, white bread, soda and candy and suggests that higher risk may be driven by salt, sugar and fats and by broader structural factors affecting access to healthy foods, though causality can’t be proven.