5 Science-Backed Reasons Ultra-Processed Foods Are Damaging to Health

A bag of potato chips, packaged breakfast cereal and chicken nuggets from a fast food restaurant are examples of ultra-processed foods and account for about 60% of the calories in the average adult’s diet.

Why are they so popular? It’s the convenience factor: ultra-processed foods are ready to heat and eat. Since people have less time to prepare healthy meals at home, ultra-processed foods are a way to get a meal on the table quickly. But for health, they have disadvantages.

Ultra-processed foods are anything but natural. These foods wrapped in neat and tidy packages with tempting colors are the concoctions of food companies. They contain processed foods in ways that reduce their nutritional content and contain a combination of sugar, fat, salt, and additives.

These foods are designed to taste good and make you want more of them. When you eat overly processed foods, you also eliminate healthier foods from your plate.

Ultra-processed foods not only contribute to weight gain and obesity, they also increase the risk of developing other health problems such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Let’s look at the reasons why ultra-processed foods are detrimental to health and well-being.

Ultra-processed foods harm cardiometabolic health

Heart health matters! Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Western countries, and ultra-processed foods harm heart and metabolic health and contribute to the epidemic of heart disease and stroke.

One study looked at five markers of cardiometabolic health: blood lipids, body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, and whether someone had cardiovascular disease. It found that just under 7% of people are healthy by all of these parameters. With the increasing emphasis on ultra-processed foods, Americans are eating themselves for weight gain and health problems.

Ultra-processed foods, with their refined carbohydrates, trigger damaging spikes in blood sugar and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, ten percent of the population is sensitive to the high sodium content of these foods and experiences an increase in blood pressure when consumed. In addition, refined carbohydrates raise blood triglycerides, another risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Manufacturers target ultra-processed foods for children

It is also worrying that manufacturers target advertisements for junk food, such as breakfast cereals, at children. Children are especially vulnerable to a diet high in sugar and low in nutrition because their bodies are still developing. Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods sets them up for a lifetime of health problems. Food preferences are formed early, and the desire to eat cheap processed foods stays with them well into adolescence and adulthood.

Manufacturers appeal to children with cartoons on packaging and funny-sounding names like “Oreos” or “Goldfish.” These products also tend to be cheaper than other options, making them attractive to families on a budget, but they also lead to costly health problems down the line.

Approximately 20% of children in the US are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Weight gain in childhood increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, which can have serious health consequences in adulthood. In fact, pediatricians are seeing type 2 diabetes at younger and younger ages.

Ultra-processed foods contribute to these problems because they are high in sugar and fat, and low in nutrients like fiber and vitamins. Children who eat too many of these foods also tend to consume fewer fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, all of which contain essential nutrients that support healthy growth and development. Ultra-Processed Foods Lead Kids Down the Wrong Path!

Ultra-processed foods can be bad for gut health

Ultra-processed foods also contain additives, including emulsifiers, that could upset the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut, the so-called gut microbiome. As Holistic Primary Care points out, research suggests that additives in ultra-processed foods can disrupt the delicate intestinal barrier of the gut and contribute to intestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerances, and including autoimmune diseases. At a minimum, eating a diet rich in ultra-processed foods leaves less room for fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that support a healthy gut microbiome.

They can be addictive

Whether it’s the salt or the sugar, it’s hard to stop eating packaged snacks like potato chips or M&M’s. You can’t eat just one! Additionally, animal studies suggest that sugar and even salty foods have addictive potential. They stimulate reward centers in the brain that release dopamine and create feelings of reward. And once you develop a taste for highly flavored, processed foods, you’re less likely to enjoy food in its natural state.

Ultra-processed foods are also bad for mental health

Ultra-processed foods are not only bad for your heart and metabolic health, they also affect your mood. An analysis of 17 studies that looked at consumption patterns of junk and ultra-processed foods found that junk food eaters were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who didn’t eat ultra-processed foods.

It would be shortsighted to think that what you put into your body doesn’t affect how you feel and your mental outlook. Certain vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and vitamin B6, are important for mental health.

The bottom line

Dietitians, doctors, and scientists disagree on everything, but most believe that replacing ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates with fresh, whole foods is one of the smartest moves you can make for your health, and now you know why. what.

References:

1. Processed foods and energy drinks: a public health emergency: holistic primary care. Holistic Primary Care. Published August 2, 2022. Accessed August 7, 2022.holisticprimarycare.net/topics/nutrition-a-lifestyle/processed-foods-energy-drinks-a-public-health-emergency/
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3. “Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies” by Melissa M. Lane, Elizabeth Gamage, Nikolaj Travica, Thusharika Dissanayaka, Deborah N. Ashtree, Sarah Gauci, Mojtaba Lotfaliany, Adrienne O’Neil, Felice N. Jacka and Wolfgang Marx, 21 June 2022, Nutrients.
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4. “Ultraprocessed Food: Addictive, Toxic, and Ready for Regulation” by Robert H. Lustig, 5 November 2020, Nutrients.
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   DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.09.010
6. Childhood Overweight & Obesity. Published 2022. Accessed August 7, 2022. .cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html
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