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New Method Reveals Alarming Ultra-Processed Food Intake

5/21/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers have unveiled "poly-metabolite scores," a groundbreaking method to objectively assess ultra-processed food (UPF) intake through blood and urine samples from 718 older adults. Published in PLOS Medicine, this study promises to enhance nutrition research by minimizing dependence on self-reported dietary habits, highlighting the alarming fact that UPFs make up more than half of the average American diet.

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Story summary

Researchers have unveiled "poly-metabolite scores," a groundbreaking method to objectively assess ultra-processed food (UPF) intake through blood and urine samples from 718 older adults. Published in PLOS Medicine, this study promises to enhance nutrition research by minimizing dependence on self-reported dietary habits, highlighting the alarming fact that UPFs make up more than half of the average American diet.