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Association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and C-reactive protein: findings from study of cardiovascular risks in adolescents (ERICA)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2025

Gabriela Rocha dos Santos Open the ORCID record for Gabriela Rocha dos Santos [Opens in a new window] ,
Priscila Bárbara Zanini Rosa Open the ORCID record for Priscila Bárbara Zanini Rosa [Opens in a new window] ,
Nina Nayara Ferreira Martins ,
Larissa Loures Mendes Open the ORCID record for Larissa Loures Mendes [Opens in a new window] ,
Ariene Silva do Carmo ,
Beatriz D. Schaan  and
Felipe Vogt Cureau
Gabriela Rocha dos Santos
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Priscila Bárbara Zanini Rosa
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Nina Nayara Ferreira Martins
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Larissa Loures Mendes
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Department of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Ariene Silva do Carmo
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, Graduate Program in Public Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Beatriz D. Schaan
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Endocrinology Division, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Felipe Vogt Cureau*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Felipe V. Cureau; Email: fvcureau@gmail.com
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Abstract

Modern Western diets, characterised by a substantial proportion of kilocalories derived from ultra-processed foods (UPF), have been associated with systemic inflammation. This study examines the association between UPF consumption and inflammation, assessed through alterations in C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, among Brazilian adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study involving a sub-sample of 6316 adolescents aged 12–17 years, participants in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA), from seven capitals in Brazil. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour recall, and foods were categorised based on their degree of processing according to the NOVA classification. UPF consumption was then divided into quartiles. For CRP evaluation, blood samples were collected after a 12-hour fasting period and categorised as > 3 mg/l, indicating low-grade inflammation. Poisson regression models with robust variance were employed to assess the association between UPF consumption and high CRP concentrations. High UPF consumption (highest quartile, ≥ 44·9 % kcal/d) was slightly associated with a higher prevalence of CRP after adjusting for potential confounders (prevalence ratio = 1·039; 95 % CI: 1·006, 1·073), compared with those in the lowest quartile of UPF consumption. However, when evaluating different groups of UPF separately (such as sugary beverages, processed meats and sweets), the previous association was no longer observed. These findings suggest a modest association between overall UPF consumption and early indicators of unhealthy low-grade inflammation in adolescents. Further experimental and cohort studies are necessary to clarify the role of UPF in inflammatory processes.

Keywords

NOVA classificationLow-grade inflammationDeveloping countriesCross-sectional studiesAdolescents

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 133 , Issue 11 , 14 June 2025 , pp. 1395 - 1403
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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