Leading medical experts have called for heart patients to be explicitly advised to prioritise home cooking and significantly reduce their consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A new consensus statement from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) links UPFs to increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure, and notes that current dietary advice in heart clinics often overlooks the potential adverse impact of these foods.
The statement, published in the European Heart Journal, recommends that patients adopt healthier eating habits including eating more slowly, avoiding late-night meals, and preferring high-fibre, minimally processed foods. It specifically advises doctors to counsel against sugary drinks, packaged snacks, and processed meats.
Lead author Professor Luigina Guasti from the University of Insubria in Italy said: “UPFs, made from industrial ingredients and additives, have largely replaced traditional diets. Research suggests these foods are linked to several risk factors for cardiovascular disease... However, this evidence has not yet made its way into the advice we give to patients on healthy eating.”
Tracy Parker, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, commented that the statement reinforces evidence linking UPFs to heart and circulatory diseases. She added: “To reduce this risk, we need to support people to cut down on UPFs... A good place to start is cutting back on foods like cakes, biscuits and ready made snacks, and cooking more meals from scratch.”
The ESC guidance also encourages clinicians to ask about cooking habits and provide simple meal-planning resources or referrals to nutrition services. It emphasises that cardiologists can play a key role in helping patients establish regular meal patterns and reduce UPF intake.
