The negative health consequences of eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been well documented.
According to one recent report, over 100,000 Americans die prematurely every two years due to consuming ultra-processed food – with early death classified as death between the ages of 30 and 69.
What are ultra-processed foods (UPFs)?
So to start, what exactly is ultra-processed food? It is food that has been through several stages during the manufacturing process before it hits supermarket shelves. Ultra-processed food and beverages are high in hidden sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats but little else – they have low nutritional value and sometimes a high caloric content as well, so eating them regularly over a long period of time will increase your risk of developing serious illness.
A new study by the American College of Cardiology found ultra-processed food consumption was associated with hypertension cardiovascular events cancer digestive diseases and all-cause mortality . Each additional 100 g/day of ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 14.5% higher risk of hypertension , 5.9% increased risk of cardiovascular events, 1.2% increased risk of cancer, 19.5% higher risk of digestive diseases and 2.6% higher risk of all-cause mortality.
By checking the ingredients listed on the back of products we can gauge how processed they are – the more additives, such as preservatives emulsifiers sweeteners artificial colors … etc. the more processed the food is likely to be. Examples include: instant noodles packaged chips packet soups, flavored yogurts soft fizzy drinks hot dog-style sausages and mass-produced bread
In the US, consumers gain more than 50% of their recommended daily caloric intake from ultra-processed foods . But not all ultra-processed foods are linked to poor health.
One of the key factors is the overall quality of our diet . For people who have a generally healthy diet – ie. high in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, as well as healthy fats , and low in sugary drinks, salt, red and processed meat, the risk of eating ultra-processed food every once in while will not have an adverse effect of their health.
Wholegrain food provides fiber
Mass-produced wholegrain products , such as supermarket wholegrain breads and wholegrain breakfast cereals, when eaten in moderation , are not associated with poorer health.
According to Dr. Mingyang Song, Assistant Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard: “ Cereals whole grain breads … they are also considered ultra-processed food, but they contain various beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals . On the other hand, I do think people should try to avoid or limit the consumption of certain ultra-processed foods, such as processed meat sugar-sweetened beverages and also potentially artificially sweetened beverages .”
UPFs: the healthiest options
Baked beans
Fish fingers
Pasta sauce (tomato)
Wholemeal bread
Instant porridge oats
Plant milk (soy… etc)
Supermarket houmous
Today, ultra-processed foods dominate the American food supply, making up over half of an American adult's diet and two-thirds of an American child's diet despite links to poor health. Now some politicians, like Bernie Sanders, are looking to make a change using legislation.… pic.twitter.com/eS6o7GdI1v
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 7, 2024
Use an app to find out how processed your food is
So if you're looking to cut back on ultra-processed foods but don't know where to start, carefully check the ingredients on the packaging of a product before you buy.
Some of the lettering on packaging might be too small to read, so an alternative is to use the free UPF scanning app Processed (available through App Store and Play Store) by scanning the barcode or ingredients list of any food product with your mobile phone. Within seconds, you will get a result to help you determine the processing level of your food . The Processed app database lists over 8 millions barcodes, helping you to find out which foods should be avoided.
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