Ultra Processed Food

The UPGRADE Study will examine how food-processing level and nutritional quality affect energy intake, eating rate, satiety, and glycemic response. In a randomized-order crossover design, each participant will consume three laboratory test meals: low processing/high nutritional quality, high processing/high nutritional quality, and high processing/low nutritional quality. Food intake and eating rate will be measured using a Universal Eating Monitor, alongside satiety, glycemic response, and energy intake during the remainder of the day. The study will also explore whether anxiety and nutrition insecurity influence these responses. Comparisons between participants in Israel and the United States will assess whether background Mediterranean versus Western dietary patterns modify meal responses. The high-processing, low-nutritional-quality meal is expected to result in greater energy intake and eating rate, lower satiety, and a more pronounced glycemic response. Findings will inform future trials and dietary recommendations concerning ultra-processed foods and nutritional quality.

This study explores whether simple nutrition education can help children and teens with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) eat fewer ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPFs include packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and fast food-items that are high in added sugars, fats, and artificial ingredients. Participants will complete online food recalls to measure what they eat and will then receive either nutrition handouts alone or handouts plus a short educational video about UPFs. Researchers will compare changes in UPF intake between the two groups after several weeks and ask families how useful and acceptable they found the materials. The goal is to identify an effective, practical way to support healthier eating habits and long-term gut health in pediatric IBD.

The goal of this observational study is to examine the potential relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and the presence of dental caries and periodontal disease, and to evaluate the role of the Ultra-Processed Food Index (UPFI) in this association. The main question it aims to answer is: Does increased consumption of ultra-processed foods raise the risk or severity of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals? Participants will include individuals within a specified age range who voluntarily agree to participate in the study. Oral health status will be assessed through standard clinical parameters, including the presence of caries, plaque index, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and bleeding on probing. Dietary habits will be evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and individual UPFI scores will be calculated. The study will aim to observe and analyze the effects of ultra-processed food consumption on oral health outcomes.

Social media can increase unhealthy eating habits by influencing individuals' desire to eat, especially through images and advertisements of ultra-processed foods. One of the groups most affected by this situation is university students who use social media intensively. Therefore, examining the relationship between social media use and ultra-processed food consumption is important in terms of developing healthy eating awareness.