Ultra-processed foods: How “bad” are they?
April 29, 2022
The advice is strong, the advice is regular…and that advice is that we should avoid ultra-processed foods*.
Anyone trying to change the way they eat hears this all the time. Regardless of the diet, the advice is to stay away from ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are a major cause of weight gain. Studies clearly highlight this. Putting weight gain aside, have you considered the effect on your overall health from consuming these ultra-processed foods?
Recent research looked at a number of studies on exactly this, data was collected from over 330,000 people. The findings are surprising, the confusing thing to me is why many of these foods are even allowed to hit the supermarket shelves. They aren’t even foods, they are food products that contain maybe a few food ingredients with the addition of a plethora of sweeteners, conservatives, preservatives, and other chemicals.
People who consumed the most highly-processed foods experienced the worst health outcomes. They were more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, cancer, asthma, obesity, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome.
All contributors to an early death…which was also reported in the study. The study findings show that people who were consuming a third of their calories from highly processed foods tended to die sooner than people who consumed fewer highly processed foods.
Why does a diet loaded with ultra-processed foods raise the risk of people suffering from deadly health conditions?
- They’re high in calories and easy to overeat.
Ultra-processed foods are often loaded with fat, sugar, and/or salt. On top of that, they tend to have low amounts of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. They are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor.
This combination of ingredients also tends to make ultra-processed foods hyper-palatable. Hyper-palatable foods trigger our natural reward systems (think: opioids and dopamine released in the brain), making us want more. It is nearly impossible to stop eating hyper-palatable foods until they are all gone. I am sure we have all experienced the inability to only eat only a few pringles. It is pretty spot on the slogan of ‘once you pop you can’t stop’. This is exactly the effect of hyper-palatable foods.
- They can crowd out more nutritious foods.
If a big chunk of someone’s calories comes from soda, fries, and fast food, there’s less space for vegetables, fruit, legumes, and other minimally-processed whole foods.
While it crowds out the more nutritious foods there is another problem, a flow-on effect. The ultra-processed foods are poor at making us feel satiated (full) for a long period. This will mean we will be reaching for food again sooner after eating. And due to the triggers caused by the ultra-processed foods, there is a likelihood that it will be these types of foods we are reaching for when we do feel this hunger. It becomes a catastrophic cycle that will lead to excessive weight gain and ill health.
How can I change?
If you are suffering from the overconsumption of ultra-processed foods you are at risk of eating your way to ill health. You should be trying to aim for change in your eating habits and behaviours and be consuming a more balanced diet.
Zero consumption of ultra-processed foods will be nearly impossible, and if you do have a problem totally eliminating processed foods isn’t necessary. Going cold turkey is likely to backfire.
There will be a case of your willpower versus the food. This is setting yourself up to fail. When your willpower breaks all hell will break loose, and you’ll be back where you started…binging on ultra-processed foods.
I would rarely tell a client that any ultra-processed food is a complete no-go. This will make the food even more desired. Instead, these foods would be initially placed in the “eat less” category while creating an “eat more” category.
The aim of the “eat more” category would be to include foods that are less processed, more nutritious, and higher in protein. The protein will help make us feel fuller, while the nutrient content will help us feel better.
After we include and eat these more nutritious foods then the client could have a chance to eat the ultra-processed food in a smaller quantity as they’d be better satiated.
Using this approach can really help. Humans respond better with small changes and manageable steps towards their goals. As progress is made then the changes would continue and increase until a point where at least 80% of our meals are coming from mostly unprocessed nutrient-dense foods.
*ultra-processed foods Foods that have been altered from their original state through any number of processes, ranging from rolling to puffing to grinding to pearling. Artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and/or emulsifiers are often added. Common examples include soft drinks, sweets, chips, bacon, sugar-sweetened breakfast cereal, and fries. – Precision Nutrition
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Ultra-processed foods: How “bad” are they?
April 29, 2022
The advice is strong, the advice is regular…and that advice is that we should avoid ultra-processed foods*.
Anyone trying to change the way they eat hears this all the time. Regardless of the diet, the advice is to stay away from ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are a major cause of weight gain. Studies clearly highlight this. Putting weight gain aside, have you considered the effect on your overall health from consuming these ultra-processed foods?
Recent research looked at a number of studies on exactly this, data was collected from over 330,000 people. The findings are surprising, the confusing thing to me is why many of these foods are even allowed to hit the supermarket shelves. They aren’t even foods, they are food products that contain maybe a few food ingredients with the addition of a plethora of sweeteners, conservatives, preservatives, and other chemicals.
People who consumed the most highly-processed foods experienced the worst health outcomes. They were more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, cancer, asthma, obesity, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome.
All contributors to an early death…which was also reported in the study. The study findings show that people who were consuming a third of their calories from highly processed foods tended to die sooner than people who consumed fewer highly processed foods.
Why does a diet loaded with ultra-processed foods raise the risk of people suffering from deadly health conditions?
- They’re high in calories and easy to overeat.
Ultra-processed foods are often loaded with fat, sugar, and/or salt. On top of that, they tend to have low amounts of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. They are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor.
This combination of ingredients also tends to make ultra-processed foods hyper-palatable. Hyper-palatable foods trigger our natural reward systems (think: opioids and dopamine released in the brain), making us want more. It is nearly impossible to stop eating hyper-palatable foods until they are all gone. I am sure we have all experienced the inability to only eat only a few pringles. It is pretty spot on the slogan of ‘once you pop you can’t stop’. This is exactly the effect of hyper-palatable foods.
- They can crowd out more nutritious foods.
If a big chunk of someone’s calories comes from soda, fries, and fast food, there’s less space for vegetables, fruit, legumes, and other minimally-processed whole foods.
While it crowds out the more nutritious foods there is another problem, a flow-on effect. The ultra-processed foods are poor at making us feel satiated (full) for a long period. This will mean we will be reaching for food again sooner after eating. And due to the triggers caused by the ultra-processed foods, there is a likelihood that it will be these types of foods we are reaching for when we do feel this hunger. It becomes a catastrophic cycle that will lead to excessive weight gain and ill health.
How can I change?
If you are suffering from the overconsumption of ultra-processed foods you are at risk of eating your way to ill health. You should be trying to aim for change in your eating habits and behaviours and be consuming a more balanced diet.
Zero consumption of ultra-processed foods will be nearly impossible, and if you do have a problem totally eliminating processed foods isn’t necessary. Going cold turkey is likely to backfire.
There will be a case of your willpower versus the food. This is setting yourself up to fail. When your willpower breaks all hell will break loose, and you’ll be back where you started…binging on ultra-processed foods.
I would rarely tell a client that any ultra-processed food is a complete no-go. This will make the food even more desired. Instead, these foods would be initially placed in the “eat less” category while creating an “eat more” category.
The aim of the “eat more” category would be to include foods that are less processed, more nutritious, and higher in protein. The protein will help make us feel fuller, while the nutrient content will help us feel better.
After we include and eat these more nutritious foods then the client could have a chance to eat the ultra-processed food in a smaller quantity as they’d be better satiated.
Using this approach can really help. Humans respond better with small changes and manageable steps towards their goals. As progress is made then the changes would continue and increase until a point where at least 80% of our meals are coming from mostly unprocessed nutrient-dense foods.
*ultra-processed foods Foods that have been altered from their original state through any number of processes, ranging from rolling to puffing to grinding to pearling. Artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and/or emulsifiers are often added. Common examples include soft drinks, sweets, chips, bacon, sugar-sweetened breakfast cereal, and fries. – Precision Nutrition
