In this episode, Dr. Michael Greger examines what ultra-processed foods really are, why they pose health risks, and whether there are meaningful exceptions—especially among plant-based alternatives. He explores the history of food processing, the shortcomings of nutrient-based labeling, and how additives, contaminants, and industrial processing techniques influence long-term health.

Key Points:

Ultra-processed foods are linked to disease not just because of poor nutrient profiles, but because of harmful additives, chemical by-products, and contaminants created during processing. Greger shows that most of these risks stem from ultra-processed animal products and sugary drinks, with plant-based meats emerging as a notable exception. While whole foods are healthiest, plant-based alternatives can meaningfully reduce chronic disease risk and aid the transition to better diets.

• Why processing matters more than nutrients: Greger argues that nutrition advice focusing solely on calories, fat, or sugar misses the deeper issue: industrial processing fundamentally alters food. Ultra-processed products often contain additives, colorants, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors not used in home cooking—and their long-term health effects are poorly understood.
• Additives and contaminants pose hidden risks: Diet sodas and other “low-calorie” products still carry risks due to additives like aspartame, caramel color, and phosphates, which have been linked to cancer, metabolic disorders, and hyperactivity. Unlisted contaminants such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) increase dramatically with industrial processing and are associated with diabetes, kidney disease, and dementia.
• Ultra-processed foods dominate modern diets: Many processed products—chips, packaged meats, fast foods—are high in fat, salt, sugar, and additives while lacking fiber and micronutrients. Regulatory agencies often approve additives decades before fully understanding their risks, allowing harmful compounds like trans fats to remain in the food supply for generations.
• Plant-based meats: an important exception: While plant-based meats are ultra-processed, nutrient scoring systems consistently show they are far healthier than the animal meats they replace, with lower saturated fat, lower cholesterol, and zero fecal contamination, antibiotics, hormones, or prions. Randomized trials show replacing animal meat with plant-based alternatives improves gut microbiome health, reduces TMAO (a major cardiovascular risk marker), and lowers LDL cholesterol.
• Meat and soda drive most ultra-processed-related disease: Large cohort studies reveal that nearly all the mortality risk attributed to ultra-processed foods comes from meat, poultry, seafood products, and sugary beverages, not from plant-based alternatives. When these categories are removed, ultra-processed foods as a whole no longer predict higher disease risk.
• Whole foods remain the gold standard: Although plant-based meats are “better, not best,” Greger views them as useful transition foods—a stepping stone toward whole-food plant-based diets. Replacing animal meat with whole legumes yields the greatest health benefits, but even swapping in ultra-processed plant-based meats could prevent more than 100,000 cases of heart disease, stroke, and cancer annually in the U.S.