Right to health: the association between ultra-processed foods and the development of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs)

This research aimed to analyze the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the increase in chronic diseases in Brazil. To this end, an integrative literature review was carried out, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines and making use of the Web Of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo and LILACs platforms. The selection covered only articles of Brazilian origin published between 2020 and 2023, whose themes were associated with the relationship between consumption of ultra-processed foods and chronic diseases among adults. After the initial and complete analysis of the articles, a sample of 11 articles was obtained. As a result, it was possible to verify the relationship between the presence of ultra-processed foods and a significant increase in the risk of various diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, depression and even mortality. This relationship persists in different types of research, reinforcing the consistency of the evidence, and is particularly notable in the context of obesity, with a dose-response relationship. In addition, demographic factors such as gender, age, education and level of physical activity influence the consumption of these foods and, consequently, the risk of chronic diseases among adults. Thus, the nutritional transition and increased consumption of ultra-processed foods are contributing factors to the growth of chronic non-communicable diseases, and public policies and food education programs are urgently needed to combat this public health problem.