Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health: Mechanisms, Impact on the Gut Microbiota and Clinical Perspectives
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editor
2. Centro di Ricerca e Formazione in Nutrizione Umana, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Interests: ultra-processed foods; gut microbiome; gut barrier; healthy diet; clinical nutrition; nutritional prehabilitation; nutrition in oncology; nutrition during radiotherapy; perioperative nutrition; body composition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) presents a significant public health challenge on a global scale. A strong body of epidemiological evidence links high UPF intake to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, including metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Although these links are well established, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear.
The aim of this Special Issue, therefore, is to go beyond epidemiological data to explore the complex ways UPFs affect human health. A key focus will be the detailed relationship between UPF consumption and the gut microbiota, examining how changes in microbial composition and function (dysbiosis) could contribute to negative health effects. Additionally, we would like to understand how these findings are relevant for disease prevention and treatment.
We welcome high-quality original research articles, narrative systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the effects of food additives and newly formed contaminants, how the UPF food structure influences satiety and metabolic responses, UPF-related gut dysbiosis and its systemic effects, and translating mechanistic insights into practical clinical applications.
Dr. Marco Cintoni
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- ultra-processed foods
- gut microbiota
- dysbiosis
- clinical nutrition
- non-communicable diseases
- inflammation
- food additives
- metabolic syndrome
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