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Two distinct patterns of molecules in the blood linked to an ultra-processed diet and a minimally processed diet have been identified in a new study by UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London researchers.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, involved data from more than 6,000 adults in the U.K. who had blood tests and filled out questionnaires about their diet and whose health was then tracked for up to 20 years.

The researchers looked at patterns of metabolites—tiny molecules the body makes as it processes food and carries out other chemical reactions. They measured 233 metabolites in the blood and used machine learning to identify the metabolites most strongly linked to each diet.

They found that molecules linked to the ultra-processed diet included more unhealthy fats and lower levels of healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, while a minimally processed diet had the opposite pattern.

The team also found that this biological signature accounted for up to half (43% to 51%) of the link between diet and a person's risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This link to disease remained even after accounting for the higher levels of sugar, fat and salt present in the ultra-processed diets studied.

Lead author Dr. D. student at UCL Epidemiology & Public Health, said, "We know there is a link between ultra-processed food and disease, but there is uncertainty over what is driving this connection—whether it is due to higher levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat, as well as dense calorie content, or whether the risks also come from food processing.

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