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Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

How Ultraprocessed Foods Increase Your Crohn's Disease Risk

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.61.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

  • Eating five or more servings of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) a day nearly doubles your risk of developing Crohn's disease
  • Additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and artificial sweeteners found in ultraprocessed foods break down the gut's protective mucus barrier and fuel chronic inflammation
  • High intake of UPFs is linked to changes in gut bacteria that reduce diversity and promote the growth of harmful strains associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare-ups
  • Common UPFs like white bread, frozen meals, sauces, and breakfast cereals show the strongest links to increased Crohn's risk
  • Removing seed oils, emulsifiers, and UPF-heavy meals while focusing on gut-repairing whole foods can help reduce flare frequency and support long-term healing

Transcript

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0:00.0

Are you eating foods that quietly erode your gut barrier and nearly double your odds of Crohn's disease without you realizing it?

0:07.0

Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.

0:15.0

No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.

0:20.0

Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.

0:23.6

I'm Ethan Foster.

0:25.6

Today we're examining how ultra-processed foods, U.PFs, raise your risk for Crohn's disease

0:31.6

and what concrete steps you can take to lower that risk.

0:34.6

I'm Alara Sky.

0:36.6

You're going to hear why additives like emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners disrupt

0:41.3

your protective mucus layer, how that shifts your microbiome toward inflammation, and which

0:46.3

everyday products, white bread, frozen meals, sauces, and cereals show the strongest links to

0:53.3

Crohn's.

0:55.0

Crohn's affects your gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus, most often the small

1:00.0

intestine and colon, and it now touches as many as 3.1 million people in the U.S.

1:06.5

You feel it as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and sometimes fever or blood in the stool.

1:13.6

Left unchecked, you face obstruction, malnutrition, and an elevated colorectal cancer risk.

1:19.6

UPFs are industrial formulations built from refined sugars and starches, hydrogenated oils, isolated proteins, and a long list of additives for

1:29.9

flavor, texture, and shelf life. Using the Nova system, they are made mostly or entirely from

1:36.5

substances derived from foods and additives, with little, if any, intact, minimally processed

1:42.0

food. You don't cook with these ingredients at home, and your gut

1:46.1

reacts accordingly. A comprehensive review and nutrients compiled pre-clinical and clinical data

1:52.9

to map how UPFs inflame your gut. It highlighted population studies where people eating the most

...

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