{"id":31908,"date":"2026-02-06T11:59:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/?p=31908"},"modified":"2026-02-09T13:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:59:45","slug":"study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cIt is a tale<br \/>Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,<br \/>Signifying nothing.\u201d<\/em><br \/>\u2014 <em>William Shakespeare, Macbeth<\/em>, Act V, Scene V<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new guidelines often, if not precisely, speak about \u201c<em>highly processed\u201d<\/em> foods (for a detailed discussion, see this <a href=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-maha-at-1-year-a-scorecard\/\">recent column<\/a>). This type of intentionally operationally vague language undermines the development of a focused solution whilst moving the goalposts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there is begrudging backpedaling on whether ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) <em>might<\/em> be a problem, there is also a parallel push to claim that it isn\u2019t ultraprocessing <em>per se<\/em>, but <em>which<\/em> UPF we choose. If we consumers simply select the \u201cbetter-for-you\u201d options: high-protein bars, fiber-fortified cereals, vitamin-enriched beverages, or plant-based burgers, then we can enjoy the convenience of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) without their downsides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is an argument full of sound and fury.<br \/>It is also, according to this week\u2019s study spotlight, deeply disingenuous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with many ideas in nutrition, this narrative rests on an old and familiar foundation: Nutritionism. It is the belief that food can be reduced to nutrients, numbers, and functional attributes. It is the belief that health follows from optimizing those components. If a food contains enough protein, fiber, vitamins, or fewer \u201cbad\u201d nutrients, it must be healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But living systems do not eat nutrients.<br \/>They eat food.<br \/>And they interpret that food as information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week\u2019s <em>Study Spotlight<\/em> examines a powerful BMJ Analysis paper that dismantles the growing industry-sponsored policy push to classify some ultraprocessed foods as \u201chealthy\u201d. The paper argues that this framing obscures the real public-health priority: reducing ultraprocessed food consumption overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/392\/bmj-2025-087538\">The Study:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This BMJ Analysis, authored by Leandro Rezende, Euridice Martinez-Steele, Maria Laura da Costa Louzada, Renata Levy, and Carlos Monteiro, critically evaluates the scientific, policy, and industry narratives surrounding so-called \u201chealthy\u201d ultraprocessed foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The authors synthesize:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Evidence from over 100 cohort studies, the vast majority of which link higher UPF intake to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health disorders, and increased early all-cause mortality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Results from randomized crossover feeding trials demonstrating the harms of UPFs <em>independent of nutrient composition<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Methodological critiques of studies that attempt to isolate \u201chealthier\u201d UPF subgroups rather than evaluating UPFs as a dietary pattern.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key findings and arguments include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>92 of 104 cohort studies associate higher UPF intake with at least one adverse health outcome.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subgroup analyses that label certain UPFs as \u201chealthy\u201d rely on inappropriate comparators (e.g., packaged \u201cwhole-grain\u201d bread vs. the rest of the diet, rather than vs. freshly baked bread).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These analyses systematically conflate nutrient composition with processing effects, obscuring mechanisms related to food structure, additives, and matrix disruption<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Framing UPFs as \u201chealthy\u201d legitimizes industry reformulation narratives while weakening policies such as front-of-pack warning labels, marketing restrictions, and fiscal disincentives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The authors argue that ultraprocessed foods must be evaluated as a category and pattern, not as isolated products with selectively improved nutrient profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Caveat:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This paper is not a rejection of nutritional science, nor does it deny the historical importance of nutrient-based interventions such as eliminating trans-fats or addressing micronutrient deficiencies. Rather, it highlights the limits of Nutritionism-type thinking in an era defined not by deficiency, but by chronic disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultraprocessed foods are not merely \u201cbad versions\u201d of whole foods. They are engineered systems, designed for hyperpalatability, shelf stability, convenience, and profit. They are not a natural evolution of food delivery. They are a fundamentally different construct from authentic foods. UPFs are built from reconstituted ingredients, industrial additives, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, and texture modifiers. These features alter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The food matrix,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Satiety signaling,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Glycemic and hormonal responses,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gut barrier integrity and microbiome signaling,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learned eating behaviors and dietary displacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When studies attempt to rescue certain UPFs by labeling them \u201chealthy,\u201d they fragment a simple and evidence-based public-health message, one correctly emphasized in the most recent US Guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Eat real food. Avoid ultraprocessed food.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worse, this persistent narrative to salvage the reputation of UPFs deepens health inequities. Premium \u201cbetter-for-you\u201d UPFs are marketed to wealthier consumers, while cheaper, nutrient-poor ultraprocessed products dominate low-income food environments. This shifts responsibility from structural food systems to individual \u201cchoice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the authors note, this is not merely a scientific issue. It is a policy and communication failure that risks normalizing ultraprocessing itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This BMJ Analysis delivers a clear and long-overdue corrective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The public-health question is <em>not <\/em>whether some ultraprocessed foods are less harmful than others, but whether the global shift toward ultraprocessed diets <em>is driving<\/em> chronic disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Labeling certain ultraprocessed foods as \u201chealthy\u201d does not solve the problem. It merely prolongs it. It reinforces Nutritionism, legitimizes industry narratives, confuses consumers, and distracts from the central goal of preserving and restoring diets based on fresh, minimally processed foods and cooked meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This current effort to legitimize UPFs as \u201chealthy choices\u201d distorts that signal. No amount of fortification or reformulation can restore the coherence of UPFs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You cannot optimize your way out of misinformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Study:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rezende LFM, Martinez-Steele E, Louzada ML da C, Levy RB, Monteiro CA. (2026).<br \/>Misleading narrative of \u201chealthy\u201d ultraprocessed foods. <em>BMJ.<\/em> 392:e087538. doi:10.1136\/bmj-2025-087538 <a href=\"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmj-2025-087538777\">\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additional references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/s0140-6736(25)01567-3\">Baker P, Slater S, White M, etal. Towards unified global action on ultra-processed foods:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/s0140-6736(25)01567-3\">understanding commercial determinants, countering corporate power, and mobilising a public<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/s0140-6736(25)01567-3\">health response. Lancet 2025;406. doi: 10.1016\/S0140-6736(25)01567-3<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1093\/ajcn\/nqab305\">Juul F, Parekh N, Martinez-Steele E, Monteiro CA, Chang VW. Ultra-processed food consumption among US adults from 2001 to 2018. <em>Am J Clin Nutr<\/em>. 2022;115(1):211-221. doi:10.1093\/ajcn\/nqab305<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980018003762\">Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, et al. Ultra-processed foods. <em>Public Health Nutr<\/em>. 2019;22<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980018003762\">(5):936-941. doi:10.1017\/S1368980018003762<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980009005291\">Monteiro CA. Nutrition and health: the issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980009005291\">Public Health Nutr. 2009;12(5):729-731.doi:10.1017\/S1368980009005291<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2337\/dci23-0018.\">Vadiveloo MK, Gardner CD. Not all ultra-processed foods are created equal: a case for advancing research and policy that balances health and nutrition security. Diabetes Care 2023;46:-9. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2337\/dci23-0018.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"905\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-905x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-905x1024.jpg 905w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-265x300.jpg 265w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-768x869.jpg 768w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-1358x1536.jpg 1358w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-1811x2048.jpg 1811w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-1920x2172.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-1170x1323.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-with-Text-585x662.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chef Dr. Mike\u2019s new book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GLQNYYH9\">Dinner with God<\/a><\/em> (available March 16, 2026), reframes food as information\u2014showing why what food means matters more than what it contains, and why that changes everything.<\/figcaption><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIt is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.\u201d\u2014 William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene V The new guidelines often, if not precisely, speak about \u201chighly&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":31910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11374,11370,11367,11371],"tags":[183,11450,195,221,192,11437,11576,11514,11513,11655,11797],"class_list":["post-31908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culinary-medicine-and-culinary-nutrition","category-food-as-medicine-and-policy","category-food-as-treatment-for-disease","category-foods-and-ingredients","tag-diet","tag-diet-related-disease","tag-health","tag-healthy-eating","tag-nutrition","tag-snap","tag-study-spotlight","tag-ultra-processed-foods","tag-ultraprocessed-foods","tag-upfs","tag-wic"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UPFs and The Misleading Narrative of Healthy Choices &#8212;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around &#039;healthy&#039; ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around &#039;healthy&#039; ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Center For Food As Medicine &amp; Longevity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foodmedcenter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"chefdrmike\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"833\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"567\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael S. Fenster, MD\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ChefDrMike\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@foodmedcenter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael S. Fenster, MD\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael S. Fenster, MD\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f60284e5945b0ca602fc8f987cab3272\"},\"headline\":\"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1008,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/wile-e-coyote.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"diet\",\"diet-related disease\",\"health\",\"healthy eating\",\"nutrition\",\"SNAP\",\"study spotlight\",\"ultra-processed foods\",\"ultraprocessed foods\",\"UPFs\",\"WIC\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culinary Medicine and Culinary Nutrition\",\"Food as Medicine and Policy\",\"Food as Treatment\",\"Foods and Ingredients\"],\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/es_pr\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/\",\"name\":\"UPFs and The Misleading Narrative of Healthy Choices &#8212;\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/wile-e-coyote.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around 'healthy' ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/wile-e-coyote.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/wile-e-coyote.jpg\",\"width\":833,\"height\":567},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity\",\"description\":\"Using Food as Medicine to Live Better, Live Healthier, and Live Longer.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/CFFAMAL_2025_logo_square-1080.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/CFFAMAL_2025_logo_square-1080.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/foodmedcenter\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/foodmedcenter\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f60284e5945b0ca602fc8f987cab3272\",\"name\":\"Michael S. Fenster, MD\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael S. Fenster, MD\"},\"description\":\"Michael S. Fenster, MD, FACC, FRSM, FSCA&amp;I, MIANE, PEMBA, known to friends and fans simply as \u201cChef Dr. Mike,\u201d is one of the world\u2019s only board-certified interventional cardiologist and professional chef. He holds cross-faculty appointments at The University of Montana (College of Health and UM Medicine, School of Public Health, and\u00a0Missoula College Culinary Arts Program).\u00a0He currently teaches one of the country\u2019s leading courses on Culinary Medicine at The University of Montana. Read full bio.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/chefdrmike.com\\\/about\\\/\",\"chefdrmike\",\"realchefdrmike\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ChefDrMike\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/foodmedcenter.org\\\/es_pr\\\/author\\\/chefdrmike\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UPFs and The Misleading Narrative of Healthy Choices &#8212;","description":"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around 'healthy' ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/","og_locale":"es_ES","og_type":"article","og_title":"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods","og_description":"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around 'healthy' ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.","og_url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/","og_site_name":"Center For Food As Medicine &amp; Longevity","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foodmedcenter","article_author":"chefdrmike","article_published_time":"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":833,"height":567,"url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael S. Fenster, MD","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ChefDrMike","twitter_site":"@foodmedcenter","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michael S. Fenster, MD","Est. reading time":"5 minutos"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael S. Fenster, MD","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f60284e5945b0ca602fc8f987cab3272"},"headline":"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods","datePublished":"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/"},"wordCount":1008,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg","keywords":["diet","diet-related disease","health","healthy eating","nutrition","SNAP","study spotlight","ultra-processed foods","ultraprocessed foods","UPFs","WIC"],"articleSection":["Culinary Medicine and Culinary Nutrition","Food as Medicine and Policy","Food as Treatment","Foods and Ingredients"],"inLanguage":"es","copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/","name":"UPFs and The Misleading Narrative of Healthy Choices &#8212;","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-06T16:59:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-09T18:59:45+00:00","description":"Uncover the truth about UPFs and how the narrative around 'healthy' ultraprocessed foods can be misleading.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wile-e-coyote.jpg","width":833,"height":567},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike-upfs-and-the-misleading-narrative-of-healthy-ultraprocessed-foods\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Study Spotlight Take-Away With Chef Dr. Mike: \u00a0UPFs and The Misleading Narrative Of \u201cHealthy\u201d Ultraprocessed Foods"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/","name":"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity","description":"Using Food as Medicine to Live Better, Live Healthier, and Live Longer.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#organization","name":"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/CFFAMAL_2025_logo_square-1080.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/CFFAMAL_2025_logo_square-1080.jpg","width":1080,"height":1080,"caption":"Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foodmedcenter","https:\/\/x.com\/foodmedcenter"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f60284e5945b0ca602fc8f987cab3272","name":"Dr. Michael S. Fenster","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cbb49b9af7aa556f2898d748f960816aef9366480abdbe45fadaac88880c91aa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael S. Fenster, MD"},"description":"Michael S. Fenster, MD, FACC, FRSM, FSCA&amp;I, MIANE, PEMBA, known to friends and fans simply as \u201cChef Dr. Mike,\u201d is one of the world\u2019s only board-certified interventional cardiologist and professional chef. He holds cross-faculty appointments at The University of Montana (College of Health and UM Medicine, School of Public Health, and\u00a0Missoula College Culinary Arts Program).\u00a0He currently teaches one of the country\u2019s leading courses on Culinary Medicine at The University of Montana. Read full bio.","sameAs":["https:\/\/chefdrmike.com\/about\/","chefdrmike","realchefdrmike","https:\/\/x.com\/ChefDrMike"],"url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/author\/chefdrmike\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Michael S. Fenster, MD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31908"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31930,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31908\/revisions\/31930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/es_pr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}