But processed foods aren’t the real issue; in fact, many processed foods and ingredients have advantages. First, they’re convenient and save time, but many have also nutritional benefits. For instance, freezing fruits and vegetables help lock in their nutrients, pasteurizing milk helps prevent food-borne illnesses and vacuum-packing canned tuna and salmon helps lengthen shelf-life, providing food safety.
The problem is when processed foods cross the line and become ultra-processed foods. This occurs when a food manufacturing process involves too many steps, strips nutrients and fiber or uses ingredients that also are overly processed or aren’t typically used in home cooking. Preservatives, seed oils, corn syrup or flavorings come to mind. Examples include frozen pizza, sodas, sports drinks, packaged desserts and snacks and processed red meats like hot dogs, pepperoni and bacon.
Almost 50 percent of foods and 40 percent of beverages sold at supermarkets are considered ultra processed, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition. And this is taking a toll on American’s health.
Studies have linked ultra-processed foods to obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Moreover, a group of international researchers found an association between eating ultra-processed food and premature death, according to a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
In this study, researchers analyzed 10 recently published, observational, cohort studies with a total of nearly 240,000 people to determine if eating ultra-processed foods contributed to all-cause premature death among people ages 30 to 69, and if it did, at which point of the dietary share (percentage of calories) do ultra-processed foods become problematic. The studies were conducted in eight countries with varying levels of ultra-processed food consumption, i.e., Brazil and Colombia (low consumption); Chile and Mexico (moderate consumption) and Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom (high consumption). Researchers classified foods reported by participants in each study using the Nova system, which includes four major groups:
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
- Processed culinary ingredients
- Processed foods
- Ultra-processed foods
Researchers reached out to authors of the other 10 studies to request study participants’ caloric intakes to determine the percentage of calories (or dietary share) of ultra-processed foods. They obtained caloric data from seven studies. Results showed a linear relationship between the percentage of calories in one’s diet from ultra-processed foods and premature death. More specifically, a 10 percent increase in total calories from ultra-processed foods raised the risk of dying prematurely by almost 3 percent.
This is not the first study to find a correlation between ultra-processed foods and premature death. Another international research team conducted a meta-analysis comprising almost 10 million people and found that ultra-processed foods raised the risk for premature death, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders and mental health issues, according to a study published in The BMJ.
8 Tips to Help Lower Ultra-Processed Food Consumption
It’s not easy lowering your intake. Eating ultra-processed foods like cereals, sugary beverages and microwaveable meals can become part of our routine because they’re easy, tasty and usually affordable. But there are some steps you can take to help you lower your consumption.
- Understand how to shop at grocery stores.
- Read nutrition facts labels.
- Control junk food cravings.
- Eat healthy snacks.
- Adopt a heart-healthy diet.
- Skip processed beverages, including juices.
- Limit ultra-processed fried foods.
- Learn to cook a few simple meals using whole foods. If you’re a member of MDVIP, click here to enter the portal and peruse our recipes, meal plans and shopping lists >>
Before you make dietary changes, talk to your primary care doctor.
