Blood, Urine Markers May Reveal How Much Ultraprocessed Foods People Eat, Study Finds

The AP (5/20, Aleccia) reports a study published in PLOS Medicine found that “molecules in blood and urine may reveal how much energy a person consumes from ultraprocessed foods, a key step to understanding the impact of the products that make up nearly 60% of the American diet.” Researchers examined blood and urine data “from an existing study of more than 1,000 older U.S. adults who were AARP members.” They observed that “hundreds of metabolites...corresponded to the percentage of energy a person consumes from ultraprocessed foods.” Researchers then devised scores from 28 blood and 33 urine markers predicting ultraprocessed food intake. They said, “We found this signature that was sort of predictive of this dietary pattern that’s high in ultraprocessed food and not just a specific food item here and there.” Researchers confirmed the findings by measuring the scoring tool using a 2019 NIH study.