Ultra-processed foods linked to poor bone health

13 March 2026

Eating more ultra-processed foods may also be bad for your bones, according to a new study from Tulane University, in the US. The study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, found that those who ate more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of hip fractures.

People consumed, on average, about 8 servings of ultra-processed foods per day, according to the study, which involved more than 160,000 participants from the UK Biobank database. For every 3.7 extra servings eaten per day, the risk of hip fracture increased by 10.5%.

While recent studies have shown that ultra-processed food consumption can affect bone health, this is the first time this relationship has been examined directly in humans.

The study analysed data from 163,855 participants from the UK Biobank for over 12 years. It found that high intakes of ultra-processed foods were linked to a reduction in bone mineral density in several areas, including the upper femur and the lumbar spine region. These data were cross matched with records of fractures in hospital records, showing a link between UPF consumption and risk of bone fractures.

Ultra-processed foods are energy dense but lack other nutrients contained in whole foods.