What's the big deal with processed foods?

We often talk about processed foods being not so great for us and our health.

But what are they, and why are they such a big deal?!

✔️Unprocessed foods are foods close to their natural state, with nutrients still intact.

This includes raw, dried, crushed, cooked, frozen, or pasteurised foods.

These are best for our health, as they contain the highest amount of nutrients and ‘good stuff’!

✔️Minimal processing involves adding salt, oil, or sugar. These foods are still good for health, and include canned veges /fruit, traditionally baked breads, and preserved foods like olives.

They often have just two or three ingredients and their nutrients are mostly intact.

✔️Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are known as 'junk food' or ‘fast foods ‘, and these are the foods we talk about.

They have high levels of added sugar, salt, and fat, as well as artificial colors, emulsifiers, flavours and preservatives

UPF are often made from substances extracted from foods rather than whole foods (such as fat, starch, added sugars, and trans fats) and are far from the foods natural state

They are designed to be highly palatable, and are usually high in calories, and low in nutrients

UPF make up 50-60% of the average Western diet, and are responsible for almost 90% of added sugar in these diets!!!

UPF also alter our food choices and appetite, making us more likely to overeat and choose high fat /sugar food. They are very quickly digested, causing spikes in blood sugar and weight gain - it takes 50% less energy to digest them, meaning our body gets far more calories from each meal, despite not feeling any fuller.

And worst of all, large studies have shown that the more ultraprocessed foods we eat, the higher our risk of disease and early death 😳 In one study, every 10% increase in UPF, caused a 14% higher risk of cancer, and 10% higher risk of early death.

UPF also increase our risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. They also damage our gut health, reducing gut microbe diversity, promoting growth of 'bad' bacteria, and promoting a ‘pro-inflammatory’ state.

The good news is, reducing UPF intake makes a dramatic difference to health!!

Every small swap you make substituting ultraprocessed foods to whole foods will contribute to better well-being - even changing soft drinks for water can create rapid improvements in your health.

And like everything in lifestyle medicine, if it seems too overwhelming, just start with small manageable steps one at a time - and before you know it, you'll have made huge gains!!!

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k322; https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.7289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2008.02.015. doi:10.1136/

bmjopen-2015-009892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008