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Review
. 2025 Aug 19;17(16):2677.
doi: 10.3390/nu17162677.

Ultra-Processed Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Critical Review of Emerging Evidence

Amanda Luísa Spiller  1 , Beatriz Gabriela da Costa  1 , Ryan Nunes Yoshio Yoshihara  1 , Enya Julia Zucari Nogueira  2 , Natalia Salvador Castelhano  1 , Andrey Santos  3 , Maiara Brusco De Freitas  4 , Daniéla Oliveira Magro  5 , Ligia Yukie Sassaki  1
Affiliations
Review

Ultra-Processed Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Critical Review of Emerging Evidence

Amanda Luísa Spiller et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background/aims: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic conditions marked by dysregulated inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Although the pathophysiology of IBD remains incompletely understood, it involves complex interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers, such as gut microbiota imbalances and immune dysfunction, leading to chronic inflammation and mucosal injury. IBD affects approximately 7 million individuals globally, with prevalence increasing in Europe, North America, and Oceania. This rise parallels the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are typically rich in sugars, fats, and additives but low in fiber, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. These associations, this review critically examines the influence of UPF consumption on gut microbiota composition and function and its potential link to IBD.

Methods: A bibliographic search was conducted in the SciELO, PubMed, and Cochrane databases.

Results and conclusions: High UPF consumption is associated with intestinal dysbiosis, marked by reduced microbial diversity, decreased short-chain fatty acid production, impaired barrier integrity, and mucus layer disruption. These alterations may promote immune-mediated diseases, including IBD, where dysbiosis is often characterized by an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium and Enterococcus, ultimately triggering inflammatory responses in the host.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; gut microbiota; inflammatory bowel disease; ulcerative colitis; ultra-processed food.

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Conflict of interest statement

Spiller AL, Costa BG, Castelhano NS have received a Master scholarship grant from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES)—Programa de Excelência Acadêmica (PROEX)—Finance Code 88887.807663/2023-00.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
NOVA classification of foods [13].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Green represents microbiota in eubiosis resulting from a healthy lifestyle. Red represents microbiota in dysbiosis due to a Western diet high in ultra-processed foods. The consumption of whole and/or minimally processed foods is associated with the promotion of an eubiotic environment characterized by increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and mucin, reduced intestinal permeability, lower levels of opportunistic bacteria and inflammatory factors, and elevated anti-inflammatory markers. In contrast, consuming ultra-processed foods contributes to dysbiosis, characterized by an increase in pathogenic bacteria, proinflammatory mediators, and metabolic disturbances. LPS: Lipopolysaccharide; NF-kB: Nuclear Factor Kappa B; IL-6: Interleukin-6; IL-10: Interleukin-10; IL-18: Interleukin-18; SFA: Saturated fatty acid; ω-3: omega-3 fatty acids. All black arrows indicate an increase or decrease in the product.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The Western diet’s impact on promoting dysbiosis, increasing intestinal permeability, and initiating the inflammatory cascade is a contributing risk factor for developing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). IL 10: Interleukin-10; IL 4: Interleukin-4; IL 13: Interleukin-13; TGF-β: Transforming Growth Factor beta; IL 6: Interleukin-6; IL 1: Interleukin-1; IFN-γ: interferon gamma; TNF-α: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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