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The Detrimental Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) on Women’s Health
By now, most people recognize the acronym UPF, which stands for ultra-processed food. Generally, these foods are packaged in plastic and contain ingredients not typically found in home kitchens. Mounting evidence suggests ultra-processed foods have a detrimental impact on health, sparking considerable debate. However, discussions often generalize the effects on “people’s” health, overlooking specific impacts on women. This article explores the unique and potentially harmful effects of ultra-processed foods on women’s bodies, ranging from fertility and pregnancy to menopause and autoimmune diseases.
Why Focus on Women’s Health and UPF?
As medical research often defaults to male subjects, it’s crucial to examine how UPF uniquely affects women. Emerging research indicates that ultra-processed foods can cause distinct toxic effects on female biology, warranting greater attention and specific warnings.
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Unique Risks of UPF for Women
- Pregnancy Risks: While pregnant women are cautioned against consuming blue cheese due to listeria risks, studies suggest that elevated consumption of UPF during gestation could potentially double the risk of miscarriage.
- Heightened Disease Susceptibility: Ultra-processed food consumption has been linked to a range of conditions, including ovarian cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which disproportionately affect women (80% of autoimmune diagnoses are female).
- Menopause Symptoms: Preliminary research indicates that high UPF intake might worsen menopause symptoms and reduce the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This area requires more investigation, as women are often not adequately informed about these risks.
The “Microsexome” and its Role
The contrasting impact of UPF on women can be attributed, in part, to the “microsexome.” Ultra-processed foods are known to negatively impact the gut microbiome—the community of bacteria and microbes in our gut.
Damaging the Gut Microbiome
This harm stems from the lack of whole foods in a UPF-heavy diet. Beneficial bacteria thrive on the fiber found in whole foods, which is notably absent in most ultra-processed foods. Additionally, additives commonly found in UPF, like emulsifiers, sweeteners, maltodextrin, and xanthan gum, may disrupt or even harm the microbiome, as highlighted in a 2024 review in the journal Nature Reviews.
Bacterial Colonies and Women’s Health
Beyond the gut, bacterial communities exist throughout the body—skin, urinary system, eyes, lungs, and, uniquely for women, in the vagina and reproductive tract. The bacterial colonies in these female-specific areas are among the least understood. The differences between “male” and “female” microbiomes, or the microsexome, reveal the role of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone in this interplay.
The Oestrobolome and Estrogen Levels
One critical component of the microsexome is the “oestrobolome,” which comprises gut bacteria that metabolize and maintain optimal estrogen levels. An optimally functioning oestrobolome is crucial for women’s health. However, its performance is compromised by unhealthy gut microbiomes, which, as previously noted, are exacerbated by UPF consumption.
- Endometriosis and Cancer Risks: Imbalanced estrogen levels can lead to conditions like endometriosis and cancer. A 2023 study in The Lancet showed that a 10% increase in UPF consumption correlated with a 6% increase in cancer-related mortality, even after adjusting for factors like smoking.
- Women’s Cancers: The risk was even higher for cancers specific to women, with each 10% increase in UPF consumption associated with a 16% increased risk of breast cancer mortality and a 30% increased risk of ovarian cancer mortality—both estrogen-driven conditions.
UPF Addiction and Women
Women may be particularly vulnerable to the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods, which are deliberately designed to be “hyperpalatable.” This can lead to “ultra-processed food addiction” and a unique eating disorder known as “ultra-processed food use disorder.” Studies, including one in the journal Nutrients in 2014, indicate women are significantly more likely than men to develop food addictions.
- Brain’s Reward System: UPF consumption when feeling unhappy or emotional can strongly affect the brain’s reward system, similar to substance abuse. This effect may be more pronounced in women.
UPF and Puberty
The impact of UPF on health can be prominent when a girl begins menstruating. Many wonder why girls appear to be starting puberty at younger ages (between eight and 13), with early signs such as breasts and pubic hair appearing sooner. This early onset can be distressing and is linked to mental health issues and a slightly increased risk of breast cancer later in life.
Obesity and Hormonal Factors
UPF is a significant contributor to obesity, and researchers have demonstrated that a higher body mass index (BMI) can trigger earlier puberty. One key hormone involved is kisspeptin. Higher fat cell counts lead to increased leptin production, which then promotes the release of kisspeptin, thereby initiating puberty.
Ultra-Processed Drinks and the Microbiome
A 2015 Harvard study found that girls who consume many ultra-processed sugary drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks, tend to start menstruating earlier, even with lower BMIs. A 2022 study in *Frontiers in Public Health* indicated that consuming probiotic yogurt—containing live bacteria for gut health—mitigated this effect, suggesting the microbiome’s role.
Fast Food and Early Periods
A 2020 study of over 1,000 girls in China found that those consuming high amounts of fast food with minimal fiber were 33% more likely to experience early menstruation, independently of their BMI.
Menstrual Health
Heavy or painful periods, often dismissed casually, also have potential links to UPF.
Prostaglandins, Estrogen, and Inflammation
Menstrual cramps and heavy periods may stem from elevated levels of hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins. High estrogen levels relative to progesterone, or “estrogen dominance,” can also be a factor. Pain-inducing prostaglandin levels can result from inflammation, which numerous studies, including one in 2023 from the University of California, have linked to ultra-processed foods.
“Fast-Food Fever”
Some researchers have even termed this inflammation “fast-food fever,” suggesting that the body may not recognize UPF as food and mounts an inflammatory response against it. Studies before the term UPF was coined also showed that women consuming high levels of snacks and junk food were more prone to painful periods.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis, a condition where cells similar to the uterine lining grow elsewhere, causing chronic pain and fertility issues, likewise has associations with UPF.
Microbiome Differences and Dietary Improvements
Studies have identified differences in the gut, vaginal, and endometrial microbiomes of women with endometriosis. Research, such as a 2023 study in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, suggests that diet improvements—reducing red meat and trans fats (found in pastries, cakes, and biscuits under names like “hydrogenated fat”) while increasing plant-based fiber—could alleviate the condition.
Pregnancy Complications
One alarming discovery is the potential impact of high UPF consumption during pregnancy.
Miscarriage Risk
A 2023 University of Birmingham analysis of over 63,000 women found that a UPF-rich diet was associated with double the risk of miscarriage, while a high intake of fruits and vegetables saw a similar risk reduction, likely due to the essential vitamins and minerals lacking in a UPF-heavy diet.
Embryo Development
Additionally, two separate studies found that high UPF intake in the periconceptional period (the time shortly before pregnancy and continuing into the pregnancy itself) is linked to impaired embryo growth, possibly due to nutrient deficiencies affecting skeletal development.
Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune conditions are significantly more prevalent in females. Sjogren’s syndrome, for instance, has a female-to-male ratio of 19:1. Scientists are actively investigating these disorders, which have been on the rise globally for about four decades.
Connection to Western Diet
James Lee, an expert in autoimmune disorders at the Francis Crick Institute in London, suggests that UPF consumption is a contributing factor. He states that the Western diet likely contributes to the rise in autoimmune diseases, potentially thinning the protective mucus in our guts and directly exposing our microbiomes to our immune systems.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Fibromyalgia
This overreaction from the immune system can lead to autoimmune conditions. Several studies have linked high UPF consumption to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease, which disproportionately affects women. Furthermore, women with fibromyalgia reported symptom improvements after following a three-month anti-inflammatory diet that excluded UPF.
Kicking the UPF Addiction
The scale of potential health issues for women linked to UPF is vast. Factories churn out 12 million loaves of bread and 10 million cakes and biscuits daily in the UK alone. Thus, addressing and overcoming UPF addiction is crucial, especially for women.
Why Female Brains Crave Sugar
Are women more vulnerable to the effects of ultra-processed food? Research suggests that the areas of the brain that deal with regulating appetite and energy are very different. This means that whatever drives women to overeat is completely different than how it affects men.
Researchers studying brains of male and female subjects have found stark differences between obese men and women. Obese women showed more prominent changes to the brain’s reward system, related to Dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, which suggests that emotion and compulsive-eating play a big part for women.
On the other hand, the team from the University of California discovered that obese men’s brains showed more triggers in sensorimotor regions (areas relating to movement, touch and sensation), implying that they overeat because they’re attracted to the physical sensation of ultra-processed food.
From this, it is clear that female brains are affected by ultra-processed food much differently than male brains, making women more susceptible to the harmful effects.
The Impacts on Menopause
While researching this area, it became very apparent that women are readily being prescribed medication, even though alternative options might improve their condition.
That is especially true for things related to Menopause. Joyce Harper, a professor of reproductive science at University College London (and women’s health expert) explains: ‘The impact of diet and lifestyle on menopause is totally under-discussed. HRT has a place, but should be seen as just one tool in the menopause toolkit.”
This is also evident from the research in this area: avoiding UPF and eating a Mediterranean-style diet of mostly plants can have an impact on your menopause experience, and can even improve the effectiveness of HRT.
One 2022 study carried out in Brazil found that increased volume of ultra-processed food consumption was associated with more extreme hot flushes and night sweats. Specifically, those that regularly consumed sugar-sweetened drinks were the most likely to suffer those physical symptoms, as well as those suffering related to memory and concentration.
Another study in 2023 concluded that women with obesity have a higher probability of having worse symptoms and lower effectiveness from Hormone replacement therapy.