NIH researchers have developed a new biomarker score using blood and urine metabolites to objectively measure ultra-processed food consumption. This poly-metabolite score could significantly improve large population studies, reducing reliance on self-reported dietary data, which is often inaccurate. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, used data from older adults and a small clinical trial. While promising, further research is needed to validate the score across diverse populations and to explore its association with specific diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.