hsCRP Levels Increased With Intake of High Levels of Ultraprocessed Food
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2025 -- Consuming high levels of ultraprocessed foods is associated with increased levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), according to a study published online Sept. 3 in The American Journal of Medicine.
Kevin Sajan, from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and colleagues examined whether people with increased consumption of ultraprocessed foods have significantly increased hsCRP using data from a sample of 9,254 participants of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The researchers found that participants had a median energy intake of 35.0 percent from ultraprocessed foods, ranging from 0 to 19 percent in the lowest quartile to 60 to 79 percent in the highest. Overall, 27.3 percent of participants had elevated hs-CRP (≥3 mg/L), with a mean of 1.4 mg/L; 13.1 and 57.2 percent were current smokers and had no physical activity, respectively. After adjustment for these confounders, those consuming 60 to 79 percent ultraprocessed foods had significantly increased hs-CRP (relative risk, 1.11; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.21; P < 0.05) compared with those consuming 0 to 19 percent. Significantly increased hs-CRP was also seen for those with 40 to 59 percent intake (relative risk, 1.14; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.27; P < 0.05). Those consuming 20 to 39 percent ultraprocessed foods had a nonsignificant 7 percent increase (relative risk, 1.07; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.98 to 1.16).
"These results carry important implications not only for clinical practice and public health strategies but also for future research aimed at understanding and reducing the health risks associated with ultraprocessed food consumption," senior author Allison H. Ferris, M.D., from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, said in a statement.
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical, medical technology, and publishing industries.
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