The world’s addiction to food that never rots has caught up with us. A new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that ultra-processed foods—those boxed, bagged, and chemically stabilized stand-ins for real meals—are actually affecting the body at a cellular level.
Researchers asked 43 healthy men to follow two nearly identical diets, matching calories and nutrients. The only difference was how processed the food was. One menu leaned heavily on whole ingredients. The other looked like the average American diet: roughly 60 to 70 percent ultra-processed foods. Within weeks, the results were unnerving.
“We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted,” said molecular biologist Romain Barrès in a statement. “The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines.”
Ultra-processed foods—UPFs for short—include things like cereals, frozen meals, chips, and anything with a shelf life long enough to survive a nuclear winter. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, found that eating like this affects three major areas of health, and fast.
1. Fat Gain Without Overeating
The men on the UPF-heavy diet gained about 2.2 pounds of body fat in three weeks, even though their calorie intake matched that of the whole-food group. The researchers suspect the additives and altered structure of processed foods change how the body stores fat and regulates hunger.
2. Hormonal Disruption
Phthalate levels spiked in the men’s blood. These industrial chemicals are tied to hormone disruption and fertility problems. So, basically, the contamination begins in the factory, carried through every layer of plastic and machinery.
3. Reproductive Decline
Testosterone and sperm production both declined, a result that fits uncomfortably with decades of research showing modern life is eroding male fertility.
“Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm reproductive and metabolic health, even if they’re not eaten in excess,” said nutrition scientist Jessica Preston.
Ultra-processed foods now make up roughly 73 percent of the U.S. food supply, and their convenience keeps them close. The science, however, keeps pushing them farther away from anything that can be called food.
The next time you open a bag of something that never expires, remember—anything that can survive a decade in plastic probably isn’t here to keep you alive.
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