The Dangers of Ultra-Processed Foods: Ultra-processed foods make up more than half of the calories that Americans consume. But they’re actually quite dangerous for your health and potentially highly addictive. And I’m not just talking about donuts and pizza here. There are actually a lot of ultra-processed foods that we mistake for healthy ones.
What Are Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods?
Processed food is something that has been altered in some way before it lands in your grocery cart. So that’s canned tomatoes, cheese, or dried pasta. Ultra-processed food is something that looks very unlike anything you would have in your kitchen at home. It’s had different ingredients added to it to make it more shelf-stable. So those might be preservatives or sugar. It’s also gone through different processes, like hydrogenation, which also help it last longer. That’s things like soda, candy bars, or chips.
Nutritional Issues with Ultra-Processed Foods
The problem with ultra-processed foods on a nutritional level is that the processes that they go through break down what’s known as the food matrix within the food. The nutrients that are in the original food have gone through so many things that mean that they’ve deteriorated. So if I’m at home, I slice up a potato, and I fry it and turn it into chips, the food matrix within that chip is going to be far more intact than if I buy a packet of chips. Those chips have gone through so many different processes and have different chemicals that make them more shelf-stable, make them last longer, but as a result, they’re lacking in the nutrients inside.
Lack of Fiber and Health Consequences
One of the biggest issues with ultra-processed food is the lack of fiber. When you have a good amount of fiber in your body, your body naturally produces this hormone called GLP-1. That is the hormone that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic try to mimic. They’re literally called GLP-1 agonists. So when you’re eating a lot of ultra-processed foods and you are lacking in that fiber, that’s going to disrupt your body’s natural cycle of producing this hormone that keeps you fuller for longer and makes you not want to snack as much. That’s why ultra-processed foods are linked with diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Scientific Findings
A study in 2019 by the National Institute of Health provided a bit of a watershed moment in terms of our understanding of ultra-processed foods. They had some people eating whole foods, some people eating ultra-processed foods. They matched it perfectly for carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, everything, and you could eat as much as you wanted. At the end of the study, they found that the people on the ultra-processed food had eaten 500 calories more a day than the people eating whole foods. That is, I cannot emphasize enough, a huge finding, and it led the researchers to find that ultra-processed foods do seem to incentivize you to eat more.
Mental Health and Ultra-Processed Foods
Other studies have found that ultra-processed foods may be linked to anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. But the reality is you can’t cut these foods out. If you speak to nutritionists, they will tell you that they eat ultra-processed foods too. They’re unavoidable, but the key is thinking about eating them in moderation.
Common Ultra-Processed Foods Mistaken for Healthy
Here are some foods that we often mistake for healthy, but they’re actually ultra-processed.
Juice
Juice has vitamin C, antioxidants, and polyphenols, these things which are all good for your heart and for your body. But the problem with juice is that it is ultra-processed, and it’s really lacking in fiber. Once you’ve juiced, say, an orange, you’re losing all of those fibrous materials that would be fortifying your body, and you’re just extracting the sugars. So you’re getting a ton of glucose and a ton of sugar, and then that can cause your blood sugar to spike. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to juice, fruit is really your best option. That’s where you’re getting the original source of nutrients. But above all, just drink it in moderation.
Granola Bars
Granola bars are considered healthy because they’re often made with oats, nuts, dried fruit, and seeds. These are all things that are really good for your heart and sometimes also good for your digestion. The problem with granola bars is that they’re often made with a ton of sugar. If you look on the back of a granola bar label, very often they’ll contain more than 15 grams of sugar.
That’s 4 teaspoons. So if you’re going to eat a granola bar, what I would recommend is to look at the label. Also check that there are at least 3 grams of fiber, at least 5 grams of protein, and less than 10 grams of sugar. Alternatively, you could eat a handful of nuts, which is going to keep you fuller for longer and give you a burst of energy, or you could try and make your granola bars at home.
Sports Drinks
Another one is sports drinks like Gatorade. The idea is that after a workout, or if you’re sick, or you’re just thirsty for whatever reason, you would drink, say, a Gatorade. It contains so many electrolytes that it will replenish the sodium and the water that you’ve lost. The reason they’re unfortunately not as healthy as we think is that these drinks often contain more sugar, other sweeteners, and food coloring than anything else in the bottle. They also contain dextrose, which is a sugar substitute linked to an increased risk of diabetes and obesity. If you’re not an athlete, or if you’re not dripping with sweat after your workout, you probably don’t need these drinks. Drinking water and eating a nutritious meal is going to get you that same hydration.
Gluten-Free Foods
The issue with gluten-free food is that, again, these are highly-processed foods. They often replace gluten with starchy ingredients like tapioca starch, rice flour, and corn starch, which can raise your blood sugar really fast. If you don’t have a gluten sensitivity or you don’t have celiac disease, there is no reason for you to avoid gluten. If you’re going to buy gluten-free foods, just look at the label, and make a decision about how you want to consume it. Look at how much sugar is in there, what kinds of sugar, what kinds of starch, and then make a decision about what else you’re going to eat with that gluten-free item. That might help you to balance out the sugars and those types of starch that are in that ingredient.
Cold Cuts and Deli Meats
Cold cuts like deli meats are also ultra-processed. Throw them in a sandwich, and that’s a high dose of protein, zinc, and iron, but they are also very high in saturated fats and sodium. In 2015, the WHO classified ultra-processed meat as carcinogenic, which includes cold cuts. When you manufacture ultra-processed meat, they inject a chemical called nitrites or nitrates to make it last longer and be more stable. In your body, that converts into something called NOC, which can damage the DNA and the cells in your bowel, increasing your risk of colorectal cancer.
Plant-Based Meat Replacements
Another food that’s ultra-processed is plant-based meat replacements. One of the benefits is that they cut out a kind of chemical that’s naturally occurring in something like red meat called heme, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. But just because something is plant-based, it can still be unhealthy. Sugar, for example, is plant-based. The other thing is that with a lot of these foods, they inject a lot of sodium to replicate the flavor. So often, they’re very high in salt.
How to Choose Ultra-Processed Foods Wisely
Here’s how to decide whether you should buy an ultra-processed food or not. Read the label. Something that nutrition experts do is they follow the 5-20 rule. So that’s less than 5% of a bad thing, more than 20% of a good thing. You’re looking for more fiber, less sodium, and less added sugars. Try to look at if there are chemicals that you don’t recognize and be wary of buzzwords. For example, something that says it’s made with real fruit or made with real vegetables might be majority sugars with a dusting of fruit or vegetable on top. Also, there is a difference between certified naturally grown, which is a regulated term, and naturally grown.
If something says it’s naturally grown, that doesn’t mean anything. The term organic has many benefits, but just because something’s organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Organic sugar in a candy bar doesn’t make that candy bar healthy. And lastly, just because something’s natural, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The terms natural and healthy are not regulated. These buzzwords are carefully designed as part of a big marketing strategy for food companies.
Marketing and Economic Factors
Food companies spend, on average, $7.5 billion a year advertising their products in the US. That’s $440 million every single month. To put that in context, that is like making “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which is the highest-budget movie ever made, once a month every month for the whole year.
Why Companies Produce Ultra-Processed Foods
So why are companies ultra-processing products? First of all, it’s cheaper. You could replace butter with something like palm oil, sugar with something like corn syrup. The other reason is that government interventions have made it really easy to make ultra-processed foods and a little harder to scale up if you’re a small business or a farm. The government subsidizes corporations that produce ultra-processed food, while private farms have to be privately run.
Future Dietary Changes
There might be a change coming in terms of how we’re eating ultra-processed foods in the US. In 2025, the US government will be issuing new dietary guidance. They do this every five years. And ahead of that, they’re conducting a pretty wide-ranging study right now looking at the chemicals used in ultra-processed foods. Big companies are watching this study, and they’re pretty nervous about it. Depending on the findings, it may impact what Americans are told to eat. If Americans swapped one ultra-processed food item from their meals every single day, food companies’ profits would drop by about 7% on average, which is really significant. If we just carried on doing that and started eating like Mediterraneans all the time, these food companies would probably fold.
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Conclusion
Understanding the dangers of ultra-processed foods is crucial for making informed dietary choices. While these foods are convenient and often unavoidable, Being aware of their health implications can significantly improve your well-being. By reading labels, prioritizing whole foods, and being cautious of marketing buzzwords, you can make healthier choices that benefit your long-term health. Remember, small changes in your diet can lead to substantial improvements, so start making mindful decisions today.
Data source: Business Insider
