CAN ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS HURT YOUR HEALTH? Some studies indicate the answer is yes.
Today we look at a small study that compared the effects of an ultra-processed diet on calorie intake and weight gain. We’ll also examine the results of a more extensive retrospective study.
First, however, I want to define ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods: Basics
If you follow me on Medium, you know that I often advise dodging ultra-processed foods as much as possible. But what do I mean by the term “ultra-processed?”
We begin with unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods. In the Harvard Health Blog, Katherine McManus, MS, RD, LDN, offers her take:
“Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are whole foods in which the vitamins and nutrients are still intact. The food is in its natural (or nearly natural) state. These foods may be minimally altered by removal of inedible parts, drying, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing, or pasteurization, to make them suitable to store and safe to consume.”
Examples of unprocessed or minimally processed foods include apples, carrots, melon, and unsalted raw nuts.
Processed foods
Processed foods have added oil, salt, sugar, or other substances. When you eat freshly made bread or canned vegetables, you consume processed foods.
And then, some foods are highly processed or ultra-processed. These foods typically have added ingredients (such as salt, sugar, fat, and artificial colors or preservatives). Take a step further, and we get ultra-processed foods with added artificial colors or flavors. They may have stabilizers.
Ultra-processed foods
Examples of ultra-processed foods include frozen meals, hot dogs, cold cuts, many fast foods, packaged cookies, salty snacks, and cakes. Such foods are unfortunately common in the place where I live, the United States.
A British Medical Journal study reports this disturbing finding:
Ultra-processed foods represent 58 percent of calories eaten in the USA and contribute almost 90 percent of the energy we get from added sugars.
Processed and ultra-proceed foods: classification
Brazilian nutrition researchers introduced the idea of ultra-processed foods in a 2018 study that associated the foods with cancer. This researcher categorized processed foods using a novel classification system known as NOVA.
The NOVA food classification system divides foods into groups based on their extent and purpose of food processing instead of by ingredients.
On one end of the NOVA scheme are not (or minimally) processed foods. Think fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Interestingly, we find many such foods in a Mediterranean diet.
On the other end are ultra-processed foods or “industrial formulations with five or more ingredients.” Here are some examples from NOVA contributors:
- Carbonated drinks
- Sweet or savory packaged snacks
- Ice cream, chocolate, candies (confectionery)
- Mass-produced packaged bread and buns
- Margarine and spreads
- Cookies (biscuits), pastries, cakes, and cake mixes
- Breakfast cereals, energy bars; energy drinks; milk drinks, fruit yogurts, and fruit drinks; cocoa drinks
- Meat and chicken extracts and “instant” sauces
- Infant formulas
- Health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meals and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products, including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes; poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, and powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles, and desserts.
I could not find a consensus on the definitions of processed and ultra-processed foods in the clinical literature.
Ultra-processed foods — My take
The list above is long. To be clear, I am not making proclamations about what any individual should eat or avoid; that strategy so often fails. I am much more about promoting added good foods into our diets.
I am a work in progress and like information to make informed decisions. Alas, I consume some ultra-processed foods. I have a protein bar at lunch (along with some fruits and dark chocolate). I may consider swapping the protein bar out for a small salad with some home-cooked chicken for protein.
Thank you for joining me. I hope you have a joy-filled week.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
