Ultra-Processed Women

Unpacking the truth about what’s on your plate – and what it’s doing to your health

Everyone is talking about ultra-processed food (UPF) and its impact on our health – but what about women? Is this very modern way of eating having a unique and specific impact on the female body? Are these ‘industrially produced food-like items in plastic packets’ that many of us consume particularly damaging to women’s health?

In Ultra-Processed Women, acclaimed journalist and women’s health advocate Milli Hill uncovers the shocking truth. From period pain and weight gain to depression, hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions and even Alzheimer’s, Hill reveals cutting-edge research into the hidden dangers that lurk in your daily food choices.

But this is not just a book about food. Ultra-Processed Women also explores the way the modern food industry has exploited women in their advertising for decades and uncovers the damage being wrought not only on our bodies but on the environment and on our own ability to connect with each other through the fundamentally human experience of cooking and eating.

This isn’t just a wake-up call – it’s a battle cry. Written in Hill’s trademark down-to-earth style, Ultra-Processed Women will help you understand the issues and develop a clear course of action, arming you with tools and practical steps to cut through the confusion, break free from the damaging effects of UPFs, and reclaim your health without guilt or deprivation. Changing the way we eat, Hill argues, is a radical act of resistance to an ultra-processed world.

It’s time to take back control. Your body, your choices, your future.

Readers are raving:

'Ultra Processed Women is an important and brilliantly readable addition to the growing literature on ultra-processed food. Milli has done a superb job.' — Chris van Tulleken

'Such a brilliant book.' — Maureen Brookbanks, Daily Mail

'Utterly had me gasping and rethinking my relationship with food and what I advise my patients – just a fabulous book.' — Dr Nighat Arif, GPwSI in women’s health, author and broadcaster

'Milli Hill’s book has opened my eyes – wide!' — Mo Wilde, author of The Wilderness Cure and Free Food

'[A] sharp and timely wake-up call.' — Melissa Hogenboom, BBC health journalist and author of The Motherhood Complex and Breadwinners

'A radical rethink of food, feminism and what it means to be nourished.' — Lara Briden, naturopathic doctor and author of Metabolism Repair for Women

'This book is a call for mindful eating, real food and systemic change, without guilt or perfectionism.' — Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietitian and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed

'For anyone tired of male-default science and diets in disguise, Milli Hill is the one to trust.' — Victoria Smith, author of Hags and (Un)kind

'In a cultural moment where corporations sacrifice the health of women at the altar of profit, this book couldn’t come at a more perfect time.' — Dr Alexandra MacKillop, food scientist and functional medicine physician

'This is a rallying call to think differently about what and how we eat – the story of one author’s refusal to become an ultra-processed woman.' — Rob Percival, The Soil Association

'A must-read for any woman determined to escape the clutches of ultra-processed foods.' — Jenny Tschiesche, nutritionist and author of The Unprocessed Air Fryer

'The only book on how to eat well you ever need.' — Julie Bindel, journalist and author of Feminism for Women

'Highly recommended.' — Roz Watkins, author of the DI Meg Dalton crime series and The Red House

'If you’ve ever felt confused about what to eat, frustrated with your body, or dismissed by a doctor, please read this book.' — Jo Fuller, menopause coach at The Merry Menopause

'[A] convincing need for change in how you feed yourself and your family.' — Jane Hardwicke Collings, Agent of the Goddess