Adults with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods faced a 47% higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those who ate the least. That is the headline finding of a new Florida Atlantic University analysis.
The study, published in February 2026 in The American Journal of Medicine, drew on 4,787 U.S. adults from a national health survey. The link held after researchers adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking, and income.
A second 2026 study reached a similar conclusion from a different angle. Among 6,814 middle-aged and older adults with no known heart disease, those eating about 9.3 servings of ultra-processed food a day had a 67% higher risk of major cardiac events than those eating roughly one serving.
That analysis, drawn from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, was published in JACC: Advances. Each extra daily serving raised the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from coronary heart disease by 5.1%.
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The rise was steeper for Black participants, at 6.1% per serving, than for non-Black participants, at 3.2%.
What counts as ultra-processed
The category covers industrial products loaded with added fats, sugars, starches, salts, and additives such as emulsifiers, and stripped of much of their natural nutrients.
Everyday examples include sodas, packaged snacks, processed meats, frozen meals, sugary breakfast cereals, chips, crackers, and packaged breads.
These foods now make up roughly 60% of the average American adult's diet and about 70% of what children eat, the FAU team noted.
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The MESA authors flagged processed meats and sugar-sweetened drinks as prominent contributors within the category. Lead author Amier Haidar, MD, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, said ultra-processed foods "are associated with an increased risk for heart disease" and should "be consumed in moderation."
Practical steps to cut back
The American Heart Association's 2026 dietary guidance urges Americans to choose minimally processed foods and to fill plates with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains rather than highly processed products. Cutting sugar-sweetened drinks remains one of the group's top prevention priorities.
Simple swaps can shrink daily exposure quickly. Trade soda and sweetened coffees for water or unsweetened tea. Replace deli meat sandwiches with beans, eggs, fish, or leftover roasted chicken.
Keep fruit, plain yogurt, or nuts within reach so packaged snacks are not the default choice.
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Neither study proves that ultra-processed foods directly cause heart attacks. Both are observational and can only show associations.
Even so, they add to a growing body of evidence pointing the same way, and doctors say anyone with rising blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar should talk with their clinician about diet and cardiovascular risk.
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