Ultra-processed foods: Ultra-unhealthy?
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As consumers, we are barraged with nutrition information, and it is often hard to determine what claims are legitimate. The most recent debate concerns something that has been around for a long time: ultra-processed or highly processed foods. It’s helpful to know what this means.
Unprocessed foods are foods in their natural state: fresh fruits, raw vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts, meats, and eggs, just to name a few.
Minimally processed foods are in their natural or nearly natural state but may be minimally altered by removal of inedible parts, drying, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing, or pasteurizing to make them edible. They may have added vitamins or minerals, or a small amount of salt or sugar. Examples include frozen/canned fruits or vegetables, canned fish, cooked eggs, cooked meats/fish/poultry, and freshly made baked goods. These foods tend to have two to three ingredients.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have many added ingredients, often industrially created sugars, salt, fats, artificial colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and stabilizers. Examples of these would include frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs, cold cuts, fast foods, packaged cakes, cookies, and salty snacks. A long list of ingredients, many of which are not found in our pantries, are found in UPFs. These additives increase the shelf life, but also increase the calories from fat and sugar.
Why do people eat ultra-processed foods? They are inexpensive, convenient, they last a long time, and they taste good.
So, what’s the problem? In the U.S., UPFs comprise 60%-70% of calories eaten and almost 90% of the energy we get from added sugars. The added ingredients and chemicals can cause inflammation, which may contribute to chronic disease, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. People who eat primarily UPFs are often heavier than those whose diets contain more unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Is there any research to prove this? In 2019, Kevin Hall, a senior researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who studies obesity and diabetes, was intrigued by this data and decided to test the theory that UPFs are harmful to health.
He recruited 20 healthy adults to stay at an NIH facility for four weeks. Participants were assigned to either a minimally processed or ultra-processed diet for two weeks, then switched to the other diet for the remaining two weeks. Both groups were served twice as many calories as they would need to maintain their weight and could eat as much or as little as they chose. Both diets were nutritionally matched for fat, salt, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein.
The results were surprising. Those on the ultra-processed diet were eating about 500 more calories a day from fat and carbohydrates than those on the unprocessed diet, AND they gained an average of two pounds. Those on the unprocessed diet ate less and lost weight. It was felt that the highly processed nature of the foods themselves somehow caused people to eat more. Clearly, more research needs to be done.
Current research: Some researchers think that the added sugar and chemicals in UPFs stimulate the brain in the same way as addictive substances like nicotine and alcohol. Other research is looking at a possible connection between UPFs (including artificial sweeteners) and depression.
Where do we go from here?
No one can be perfect, but here are some things you can do to limit UPFs in your diet:
- When possible, make your food from scratch.
- Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein (the Mediterranean Diet).
- Read food labels. If there are ingredients you don’t have in your pantry, don’t buy it.
- Avoid excess amounts of sugary beverages and artificial sweeteners.
You have the power to eat well. Take charge and be healthier!