Story at-a-glance
- Eating five or more servings of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) a day nearly doubles your risk of developing Crohn’s disease
- Additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and artificial sweeteners found in ultraprocessed foods break down the gut’s protective mucus barrier and fuel chronic inflammation
- High intake of UPFs is linked to changes in gut bacteria that reduce diversity and promote the growth of harmful strains associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-ups
- Common UPFs like white bread, frozen meals, sauces, and breakfast cereals show the strongest links to increased Crohn’s risk
- Removing seed oils, emulsifiers, and UPF-heavy meals while focusing on gut-repairing whole foods can help reduce flare frequency and support long-term healing
A significant portion of the U.S. population is now dealing with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating the numbers reaching up to 3.1 million today. There are two types of IBD, namely ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease.1
Crohn’s is a chronic condition that affects your gastrointestinal tract (GI), anywhere from mouth to anus, though most cases occur in the small intestine and colon. It’s characterized by recurring episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, and sometimes fever or blood in the stool. If left untreated, Crohn’s can lead to serious complications like bowel obstruction, malnutrition, and even colorectal cancer.
Alarmingly, cases of Crohn’s are continuously rising today, and what’s driving its steady increase might be as close as your kitchen pantry — specifically, ultraprocessed foods (UPFs).
Ultraprocessed Foods Worsen Gut Inflammation in Clear, Measurable Ways
UPFs are industrial food products made mostly from refined ingredients, such as added sugars, starches, hydrogenated oils, and isolated proteins, combined with additives that improve flavor, texture, and shelf life. These additives include emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, colorants, and more.
Several systems are used to classify food according to the level of processing. The NOVA classification is the most common, and under this system, UPFs are defined as being “made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives, with little if any intact Group 1 food” (Group 1 consists of minimally modified or preserved parts of animals or plants).
While convenient and inexpensive, these foods often contain components that do not occur naturally in whole foods, which disrupt normal gut function in ways researchers are just beginning to understand.
•A new study provides one of the most comprehensive summaries linking UPFs and IBD — Published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers’ goal was to analyze the specific biological mechanisms behind why UPFs seem to trigger inflammation in the gut. They compiled and evaluated results from numerous preclinical and clinical studies — many involving human populations and lab models — highlighting which additives and processing methods do the most damage.2,3
•Crohn’s risk increases with a higher UPF intake — One of the strongest parts of the evidence base comes from large population studies that track diet and disease development over time. Across multiple countries and cohorts, the trend is remarkably consistent: People who eat the highest amounts of UPFs have a significantly greater risk of developing Crohn’s disease. Below are some key findings highlighted in the review:
◦The PURE study, which followed 116,087 adults across 21 countries for almost a decade, found that individuals eating five or more servings of UPFs per day had nearly double the risk of IBD compared to those eating less than one serving.
◦Three major U.S. cohorts — together including more than 245,000 participants — found a clear, dose-dependent relationship between UPF intake and higher Crohn’s disease risk (more on this later).
◦The U.K. Biobank study reported that people consuming the most UPFs had twice the risk of Crohn’s disease and, among those already diagnosed, a higher likelihood of needing IBD-related surgery.
The researchers also found that people with existing gut disorders like Crohn’s showed more frequent flare-ups, higher rates of intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and worse immune dysregulation when consuming a high-UPF diet. Many of these negative outcomes showed up quickly, often in a matter of weeks, and persisted over time if the diet didn’t change.
•Interestingly, the evidence for ulcerative colitis is far less consistent — Many studies show little to no association between UPFs and UC, suggesting the two diseases may respond differently to dietary influences. Crohn’s disease affects the small intestine, where the gut’s protective mucus barrier is thinner and more vulnerable to dietary additives — a detail that helps explain these differences.
The Many Different Ways UPFs Damage Your Gut
The study findings suggest that reducing UPF intake is a powerful, modifiable strategy for supporting gut health, especially for individuals at risk of, or already living with, IBD. And while the population studies reveal patterns, the authors also discuss mechanistic research that provides insight on why these patterns occur.4
•UPFs damage the gut barrier — Certain UPF additives, such as emulsifiers like carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, have been shown in animal studies to erode the gut’s protective mucus layer. This allows bacteria to move closer to the intestinal wall, increasing the risk of inflammation. In a controlled human study, carboxymethylcellulose altered the gut microbiome and reduced levels of important anti-inflammatory metabolites.
•They cause changes in gut microbiome balance — Additives such as maltodextrin encourage the growth and adhesion of harmful bacteria, including strains linked to Crohn’s. Other additives, like carrageenan, can trigger inflammatory responses in intestinal cells and have been shown to worsen colitis in animal models.
These foods also consistently reduce the diversity of gut microbiota, especially species known to promote gut health like Akkermansia muciniphila. This matters because your microbiome needs diversity to stay balanced and resilient. Losing that diversity makes you more vulnerable to flare-ups, infections, and long-term disease.
•UPFs lead to immune activation — Several UPF components stimulate immune pathways that drive inflammation, including the NF-κB and TLR4 pathways. Excessive dietary salt, a common feature of UPFs, may also promote inflammatory immune cells (Th17 cells), worsening experimental colitis.
•They disrupt production of beneficial metabolites — Disruption of the microbiome often leads to reduced production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which support gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and overall digestive health.
The Quantity and Types of UPFs Also Affect Your Chances of Developing Crohn’s
Among the research mentioned in the featured report was a large prospective cohort study that followed over 245,000 U.S. health professionals across three landmark health studies (the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study). Published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the research team studied whether there was a correlation between eating ultraprocessed foods and an increased risk of Crohn’s disease and UC.5
•The research population included mostly middle-aged, healthy U.S. adults — The participants were predominantly female nurses and male health professionals with no prior diagnosis of Crohn’s, UC, or cancer. Their food choices were tracked using validated food frequency questionnaires over decades, allowing the researchers to analyze long-term consumption trends and health outcomes.
In total, the study captured over 5.4 million person-years of follow-up, documenting 369 cases of CD and 488 of UC.
•Eating more UPFs raised the risk of Crohn’s by 70% — People who consumed the highest amounts of UPFs had a 70% higher risk of developing Crohn’s disease compared to those who ate the least. This was measured using the most recent dietary data available. When longer-term diet was averaged, the increased risk remained significant at 40%. However, there was no clear association between UPF intake and the development of ulcerative colitis.
•Certain UPFs were especially linked to Crohn’s — Some food categories stood out for their stronger connection to developing Crohn’s. These include:
◦Ultraprocessed breads and breakfast items like white bread and sugary cereals, which had the strongest association (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.18)
◦Frozen or shelf-stable meals like TV dinners, microwave-ready foods, and boxed entrees (HR 1.11)
◦Sauces, spreads, cheeses, and gravies, many of which contain emulsifiers and thickeners (HR 1.14)
•The more ultraprocessed foods made up your daily calories, the greater the Crohn’s risk — Participants in the highest quartile of UPF intake got about 46.4% of their daily energy from these foods, which is more than double (21%) consumed by those in the lowest group. These heavy UPF consumers also had higher body mass indexes (BMIs), exercised less, ate fewer whole foods, and scored lower on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).
•The increased Crohn’s risk remained even after accounting for other health factors — To make sure the connection wasn’t due to other habits, researchers adjusted for dozens of lifestyle and medical factors like family history of IBD, smoking, BMI, physical activity, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and diet quality. The link between high UPF intake and Crohn’s remained statistically significant even after these adjustments.
These two studies provide compelling evidence that cutting back on processed convenience foods could lower the risk of developing Crohn’s. It’s not just about avoiding junk — it’s about protecting the delicate ecosystem of your gut from inflammatory triggers that quietly chip away at its defenses over time.
Therapeutic Diets That Reduce UPFs Show Promise Against Crohn’s
The featured study found a key theme among current research: Dietary therapies that help control Crohn’s disease and, in some cases, ulcerative colitis share one unifying principle, which is they sharply reduce or eliminate UPFs and food additives. What varies between diets is how they accomplish this and how easy they are to sustain. Below are two examples noted in the study:6
•Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN) — This is a medically supervised diet in which 100% of calories come from a nutritionally complete liquid formula for six to eight weeks, without any solid food. This is one of the most established nutrition therapies for pediatric Crohn’s disease and is often recommended as a first-line treatment for inducing remission.
Consuming the liquid formula removes all exposure to UPFs and additives found in everyday foods. It minimizes the workload on the gut, giving the intestinal lining a chance to heal. EEN also reduces antigen exposure, meaning the immune system is less likely to encounter food components that might worsen inflammation.
There are downsides, however, such as taste fatigue, social limitations, and difficulty adhering to a fully liquid diet. Teens and adults often find it challenging to adhere to it as well. And while it’s not typically used as a long-term maintenance strategy, it serves as a “proof of concept” that removing modern processed foods from the diet can significantly calm intestinal inflammation.
•Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) — This was specifically designed to recreate the benefits of EEN using real food, making it more practical and sustainable for everyday life. CDED focuses on whole foods while eliminating UPFs, additives, and certain fats linked to gut inflammation. CDED also includes foods rich in fiber and resistant starch, which help feed beneficial gut bacteria and promote anti-inflammatory metabolites like SCFAs.
In randomized controlled trials, CDED combined with partial enteral nutrition worked as well as EEN for inducing remission in children with Crohn’s disease. Over the long term, patients are often more successful staying in remission with CDED than with partial formula use alone, likely because the diet is easier to maintain.
•Even removing just one additive can have striking effects against IBD — For example, in a double-blind clinical trial involving individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission, avoiding carrageenan, an additive used to thicken and stabilize many processed foods, led to significantly fewer relapses than in the group unknowingly consuming carrageenan capsules.
Across all of these dietary strategies, the common thread is clear: Reducing exposure to UPFs supports a healthier gut environment and may help manage IBD. While no diet will work for every individual, the growing body of research suggests that shifting toward whole, minimally processed foods is a practical and powerful step for anyone looking to reduce gut inflammation and improve digestive well-being.
Practical Ways to Start Healing Your Gut and Lower Your Crohn’s Risk
If you’re living with Crohn’s or trying to avoid it, then your daily decisions around food and environment matter. What you eat plays a central role in either fueling inflammation or giving your gut the chance to recover. And while completely overhauling your diet isn’t easy, especially with a busy lifestyle, small, strategic steps can make a big difference. Here are targeted dietary strategies to protect your gut and lower inflammation:
1.Declutter your kitchen of ultraprocessed foods — Take a moment to sweep through your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, and get rid of items like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, frozen meals, deli meats, and breakfast or protein bars — even if the label claims they’re “organic” or “low-fat.” These products are often still heavily processed and filled with additives your body doesn’t need.
Not sure whether something qualifies as ultraprocessed? Use this simple test: Would I use these ingredients in my own kitchen? If the answer is no, it’s time to let it go. By clearing out these tempting convenience foods, you’re setting yourself up for success — not by relying on willpower, but by creating an environment that supports healthier choices.
2.Make whole foods the core of every meal — Transitioning to a whole-foods-based diet doesn’t mean giving up convenience — it means redefining it. After you’ve done a pantry sweep, stock your kitchen with easy, reliable staples that support your health without the need for heavy processing. Build your meals around simple, nourishing ingredients like pasture-raised eggs, grass fed beef, wild-caught fish, fresh fruits, and well-cooked vegetables.
The key is to choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible — items you can easily recognize and pronounce. By making minimally processed whole foods your foundation, you’ll create meals that are both satisfying and supportive of long-term wellness.
Root vegetables and white rice can also be great additions if your gut handles them well. Eating the right carbohydrates help repair your gut and produce proper cellular energy. Start by getting at least 250 grams of healthy carbs per day from nutritious sources, such as white rice and whole fruit. These foods will give your cells the energy they need while minimizing digestive issues.
3.Eliminate seed oils from your diet — Most all UPFs are made using seed oils (soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower oil), which are loaded with linoleic acid (LA). Excess LA alters your gut environment, disrupts immune signaling, and worsens intestinal permeability over time.
To restore your microbiome, keep your LA intake to less than 2 grams a day from all sources, and swap them for healthy fats like ghee, grass fed butter, or coconut oil. I also recommend downloading the Mercola Health Coach app, which features the Seed Oil Sleuth, which will help track your LA intake to a tenth of a gram.
4.Support the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila — After clearing out harmful foods, focus on feeding your gut’s beneficial microbes, especially Akkermansia, which is a keystone species essential for maintaining microbiome balance. Ideally, this important bacterium should make up about 3% to 5% of your total gut flora.
To naturally encourage Akkermansia growth, include more polyphenol-rich fruits like berries, along with inulin-rich foods such as garlic, asparagus, bananas, and leeks. These prebiotic fibers nourish Akkermansia and help it flourish.
While supplements are also available, it’s best to wait at least six months after eliminating vegetable oils from your diet. This pause allows your mitochondria to recover and helps create a gut environment that supports Akkermansia colonization.
Avoiding environmental exposures like pesticides and unnecessary antibiotics is just as important as cutting out harmful foods when it comes to protecting your gut. Pesticides, especially glyphosate, disrupt the delicate balance of your microbiome by killing off beneficial bacteria and allowing more aggressive, inflammatory strains to take over.
Meanwhile, antibiotics wipe out large swaths of both good and bad bacteria, leaving your gut vulnerable and imbalanced long after the treatment ends. Repeated or early-life exposure to antibiotics has been linked to a higher risk of developing IBDs, especially Crohn’s.
By choosing organic foods when possible and using antibiotics only when truly needed, you support a healthier, more resilient microbiome that can defend against inflammation, regulate immune responses, and maintain a strong gut barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About UPFs and Crohn’s Disease
Q: How do ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase the risk of Crohn’s disease?
A: UPFs contain industrial ingredients like emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and seed oils that disrupt your gut’s protective barriers. These additives damage the mucus lining, promote harmful bacteria, reduce good bacteria, and overstimulate your immune system — all of which drive inflammation and increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut), a key factor in Crohn’s development.
Q: What kinds of foods are considered ultraprocessed?
A: Examples include sugary cereals, white breads, frozen meals, deli meats, sauces, boxed dinners, and nearly anything made with long ingredient lists or items you wouldn’t cook with at home. If a food contains ingredients you don’t recognize or wouldn’t use in your own kitchen, it’s likely ultraprocessed.
Q: How strong is the evidence linking UPFs and Crohn’s disease?
A: Very strong. Large studies across multiple countries show that people who eat more UPFs have up to double the risk of developing Crohn’s. One U.S. study found a 70% higher risk in those eating the most UPFs, even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors like exercise, smoking, and overall diet quality.
Q: Are there specific types of ultraprocessed foods that are worse than others?
A: Yes. Breads and breakfast items like sugary cereals had the strongest link to Crohn’s, followed by frozen meals and shelf-stable entrees. Processed cheeses, sauces, and spreads also ranked high due to their high emulsifier content. These categories were found to consistently drive up disease risk across large population studies.
Q: What’s the best way to lower my risk if I eat a lot of UPFs now?
A: Start by removing seed oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil from your diet, as they are loaded with linoleic acid that damages the gut. Then, focus on replacing processed foods with real, whole ingredients — pasture-raised meats, fruits, vegetables, and resistant starches like cooked rice or root vegetables. Supporting beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia muciniphila through polyphenol-rich and inulin-rich foods also helps rebuild gut health and reduce inflammation.
Sources and References
- 1 U.S. CDC, IBD Facts and Stats, June 21, 2024
- 2 News-Medical.net, December 11, 2025
- 3, 4, 6 Nutrients, 2025, 17(24), 3852
- 5 Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 June; 20(6): e1323–e1337