Global research landscape and emerging frontiers of ultra-processed food intake and cardiometabolic health: a bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analysis (2015–2025)

Objective Bibliometric and visual analysis of research on ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and cardiometabolic health from 2015 to 2025. Methods Publications from 2015 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases. Analyses were conducted using R software (bibliometrix package), VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Origin 2018. Results Scholarly output in this field demonstrated a continuous growth trajectory throughout the study period, with the steepest rise concentrated between 2020 and 2021. Brazil led in publication output, followed by the United States and China. The University of São Paulo ranked first among contributing institutions. Nutrients , Public Health Nutrition , and Frontiers in Nutrition were the most productive journals, while Public Health Nutrition , Nutrients , and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition dominated the co-citation network. Prominent keywords included obesity, cardiovascular diseases, children, dietary patterns, and diabetes mellitus, reflecting the central themes of this field. Bibliometric analysis identified three key research hotspots: the association between UPF intake and cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs); the association between UPF consumption and early cardiometabolic impairment in children and adolescents; and mechanisms underlying food matrix disruption and food additive-mediated cardiometabolic dysregulation. Conclusion Global research interest in the relationship between UPF intake and cardiometabolic health has grown substantially over the past decade. This study provides a comprehensive mapping of the current research landscape, key hotspots, and emerging frontiers in this field, offering a valuable reference for future investigations and public health interventions.