Diets that limit ultra-processed foods are not automatically healthy, research shows

Researchers compared two menus that reflect a typical Western diet: one emphasizing minimally processed foods and the other the extremely processed variety, according to the NOVA Food Classification System.

This system categorizes foods into one of four groups based on processing-related criteria. It was developed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition of the School of Public Health of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The less processed menu was more than twice ...