Consumption of ultra-processed foods is positively associated with levels of pro- inflammatory cytokines in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

For many women, the transition into menopause is more than just the end of monthly cycles; it is a fundamental shift in how the body functions. As the ovaries slow their activity and the production of estrogen drops, the body loses a powerful natural shield against inflammation. Estrogen acts like a quiet regulator, keeping the immune system's response in check. Without it, a low-level, simmering inflammation can take hold throughout the body. This state is not usually felt as a specific pain or fever, but it is a biological undercurrent that can pave the way for chronic diseases later in life. Scientists have long known that what we eat influences this inflammatory balance, but the specific role of modern, highly engineered foods in this delicate hormonal phase has remained less clear. The question is whether the shift toward convenience foods is silently worsening this natural biological change, turning a manageable transition into a health risk.

A team of researchers in Brazil set out to investigate this connection by looking closely at the diets of 565 women living in the municipality of Viçosa. They focused specifically on the 141 women in the group who had reached menopause, defined as having gone twelve months without a period. The researchers did not just ask what these women ate; they measured the actual chemical signals of inflammation in their blood. They looked for specific proteins, known as cytokines, which act as messengers telling the immune system to fight. Some of these messengers, like TNF-alpha and IL-6, are pro-inflammatory, meaning they stoke the fire of inflammation. Others, like IL-10, are anti-inflammatory and help calm it down. To understand the diet, the team used a detailed questionnaire that asked the women to recall their eating habits over the past year, categorizing every item they ate based on how much it had been processed. They separated foods into two main groups: minimally processed foods, which are close to their natural state like fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains, and ultra-processed foods, which are industrial formulations often containing additives, preservatives, and ingredients not found in a home kitchen.

The study revealed a clear and direct link between what the women ate and the state of their immune systems. The women who ate the most ultra-processed foods showed significantly higher levels of the pro-inflammatory messengers in their blood. Specifically, those with the highest consumption of these industrial foods had elevated levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-12p70, and IL-1beta. In contrast, the women who ate the most minimally processed foods showed the opposite pattern. Their diets were associated with lower levels of the same inflammatory markers, including TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1beta. The researchers also noted that women who ate more ultra-processed foods tended to have lower levels of vitamin D and consumed more alcohol, factors that can further complicate health, but the link between the food type and inflammation held strong even when the team accounted for these other variables.

This finding suggests that the inflammatory state often seen in menopause is not just an inevitable result of aging or hormonal changes, but is heavily influenced by dietary choices. The study indicates that a diet heavy in ultra-processed foods may be actively fueling the immune system's fire, while a diet rich in whole, minimally processed foods may help keep it in check. The researchers were careful to note that because this was a snapshot in time, they could not prove that the food caused the inflammation, only that the two were strongly connected. However, the consistency of the results across different inflammatory markers points to a significant relationship. The work highlights that during a time when the body is already more vulnerable to inflammation due to hormonal shifts, the choice to eat foods that are close to nature rather than foods engineered in factories could be a critical factor in maintaining long-term health.