IMPACTS OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS ON HUMAN HEALTH: CLINICAL EVIDENCE, SOCIAL INEQUALITIES, AND REGULATORY CHALLENGES

Abstract

This study analyzes the impacts of ultra-processed food consumption on human health, investigating both the pathophysiological mechanisms involved and the socioeconomic determinants that condition this consumption. Developed and written through a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory narrative literature review, the article is based on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, prospective epidemiological studies, and institutional documents published primarily between 2013 and 2026, consulted in the PubMed, SciELO, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases. The results show that ultra-processed foods, classified in Group 4 of the NOVA scale, are associated with multiple negative health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality. The pathophysiological mechanisms identified include insulin resistance, chronic low-grade inflammation, intestinal dysbiosis, intestinal barrier impairment, and disruption of the gut-brain axis, with repercussions on mental health, including anxiety and depression. It is estimated that 57,000 deaths annually in Brazil are attributable to the consumption of these products. Analysis of socioeconomic determinants reveals that factors such as low family income, rapid urbanization, precarious working conditions, reduced time for home meal preparation, and intensive exposure to food marketing create an environment that structurally favors the consumption of ultra-processed foods, perpetuating health inequalities and increasing the nutritional vulnerability of less privileged populations. It is concluded that reducing the consumption of these products requires integrated actions encompassing food education, regulatory public policies, and technological innovation committed to public health.