If you had a bunch of soda, hot dogs, and fried food this past holiday weekend (like the average American), a new study may have you rethinking your food choices. Scientists are calling out sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, and trans fats in a major way. Their big finding? Even small, regular servings of these foods are tied to a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease.
Here’s exactly what the study found and how it affects you and your diet.
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In the analysis, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine on June 30, 2025, a team of researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington reviewed more than 60 previous observational studies examining the impact of diet on major diseases.
They used a burden-of-proof approach, which considers the strength of evidence for various risk-outcome pairs and gives the findings a star rating.
They found that, even conservatively, eating processed meats, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is associated with a higher risk of diseases and cancer.
More specifically:
- Drinking one sugar-sweetened beverage per day (like a 12-ounce can of soda) is associated with at least an 8% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 2% increased risk of ischemic heart disease
- Eating processed meat is associated with an 11% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7% increased risk of colorectal cancerolorectal cancer
- Eating trans fatty acids is associated with a 3% increased risk of ischemic heart disease
Alarmingly, it doesn’t take much of these foods to see an elevated risk of disease, the researchers found.
“Our observation that the greatest increases in disease risk occurred at low intake levels suggests that even lower levels of habitual consumption of these dietary risk factors are not safe,” wrote the team, led by Dr. Demewoz Haile, a research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle.
According to CNN, medical doctors who read but weren’t involved in the study also concluded that there’s “no safe amount” of processed meats to eat, and that even one hot dog a day can increase your disease risk.
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Why Are Soda, Processed Meats & Trans Fats So Bad for You?
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Sugary drinks like soda spike inflammation and can cause weight gain, the study authors explain.
Processed meats like bacon and sausages often contain nitrites, which can convert to cancer-causing compounds in the stomach.
And finally, trans fats are known to reduce good cholesterol while increasing bad cholesterol—factors that contribute to artery-clogging plaque.
This is why health officials are urging people to limit, or even eliminate, these foods from their diets.
“Our findings support the recent initiative of the WHO to ban industrially produced trans fatsans fats and their call to tax sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce diet-related noncommunicable diseases,” the study authors wrote.
“Policies promoting access to and affordability of healthier food options could help mitigate the risks... Therefore, efforts must be intensiied to increase public awareness and policy action to reduce the consumption of these dietary risk factors and promotion of healthier food options.”
In your own home, you can make sure these foods aren’t ending up in your fridge or on your plate.
That means skipping or limiting your purchases of sugary sodas, processed meats, and foods containing hydrogenated oils.
Instead, prioritize whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fermented dairy, and lean proteins.
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.