Think Twice Before Eating That Snack
In today's busy world, we often pick food based on how easily available it is and rather its health hazards. Snacks and processed meals are now a part of daily diet and often the consumption is unsupervised.
With extended working hours being a norm, busy schedules being the new lifestyle, and the omnipresence of fast food stations, a shift towards convenience food has been on the rise over healthy homemade food.
As tempting as they can be, ultra-processed foods are cheap, ready-to-eat, tasty, and on-the-go, easily available foods, specially made to satisfy hunger pangs. We are well aware that ultra-processed food comes with a host of health hazards, which we often overlook. With growing concerns about health problems, it's important to be aware of the risks of ultra-processed foods and make informed choices.
From hunting and gathering to agriculture and global trade, human food habits have evolved significantly. Industrialization led to processed foods, while globalization introduced diverse cuisines. Today, food choices are influenced by culture, economics, and health trends.
Generally, the practical way to identify if a product is ultra-processed is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the ultra-processed food group. These are either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens, or classes of additives whose function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ultra-processed foods are highly manipulated foods that contain many additives, to suit our taste but they lack essential nutrients.
Consumption of these foods can lead to health risks for obesity, and chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Many packaged foods contain carcinogenic compounds and artificial flavoring agents like MSG, which may have adverse effects on health.
Reading food labels and making informed choices can help you avoid the pitfalls of ultra-processed snacks and meals.
Prioritizing whole, minimally processed foods can have a significant positive impact on your overall health and well-being.
Unprocessed or minimally processed food is food that has its nutrients and vitamins intact. Unprocessed food is in an unaltered, natural state or can be minimally altered by removing the outer shell, and inedible parts, roasting, crushing or pasteurizing, making it safe for consumption. For example, apples, raw unsalted nuts, milk and wheat.
Processed food on the other hand has two or three ingredients added. These have been changing form their natural state by adding salt, oil, sugars and other additives. For example, canned pineapples, fruit jams, syrups, bread.
Ultra-Processed food are highly processed foods containing many additives including flavor enhancers, coloring agents, emulsifiers, and stabilizers, easy to convenient but are deleterious to health. For example, frozen foods, cookies, salty snacks, cakes, etc.
Ultra-processed foods are highly altered, industrially formulated edible foods, with little or no whole food in them. These are mostly made from substances extracted from food and contain synthetic ingredients like preservatives and colorants. They go through a lot of processing, losing their natural nutrients. Instead, they are made durable, palatable, addictive and appealing, but they lack important nutrients.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, "Generally, the practical way to identify if a product is ultra-processed is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the ultra-processed food group. These are either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens or classes of additives whose function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing." (1)
UPF has a long, formal scientific definition, but it can be boiled down to this: if it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t usually find in a standard home kitchen, it’s UPF.Chris van Tulleken, PhD, Molecular Virology, Oxford (Author, Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food)
Ultra-processed foods can harm our health because they have high levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar, providing empty calories that lack nutrients. They are often low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This can lead to health problems such as:
Weight gain and obesity
Increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease
Disruption of the gut microbiome
Potential exposure to carcinogenic compounds
The processed food undergo alteration to extract hydrogenated fats, starches, sugars from the food while also resulting in removing of important micronutrients. These include vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy.
Studies have shown that ultra processed food (UPF) with equal amounts of calories, fat and other content as that of unprocessed food, when given to participants showed:
That overeating with UPF was common as compared to unprocessed foods, UPF also resulted in weight gain contrary to weight loss with unprocessed foods. Observational studies carried over years have shown people consuming UPF at higher frequency were at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases. (2)
During processing, many of these foods lose a lot of their natural nutrients, thus even if you eat enough calories, you might not get the micronutrients your body needs.
Vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc, can be significantly reduced or even completely stripped off during manufacturing.
Beneficial plant compounds, like antioxidants and phytochemicals, are frequently lost in the pursuit of longer shelf life and increased shelf appeal.
The addition of artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors contributes to the visual appeal and palatability of these foods, making them addictive.
Sugar and salt are the two greatest food additives in terms of driving appetite, which is why they are nearly universal in UPF, whether it’s beans or pizza. So, high sugar content is one of the properties of UPF that drives weight gain.Chris van Tulleken, Author, Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food
Ultra-processed foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. They are high in macronutrients, especially refined carbohydrates and fats and lack protein. UPF is addictive because of special flavoring agents and also encourage over-eating to curb the lack of nutrients causing weight gain, leading to obesity.
This imbalance can affect hormones and body metabolism, making it difficult to manage and lose extra pounds.
UPF can also raise your risk of diabetes and heart disease. The high amount of carbs and fats can make your body less sensitive to insulin, leading to type 2 diabetes. This can also harm your blood vessels, increase inflammation, and lead to plaque buildup in the vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease. (2)
Convenience at the cost of Gut Bacteria
Gut health is an important component of overall health, and an unhealthy gut can contribute to various health issues. In today's fast world, ultra-processed foods are omnipresent. They might be cheap, palatable and readily available, but they harm our gut health.
Our gut has a plethora of bacteria, the good bacteria that are responsible for the digestion of food and maintaining gut health. UPF can cause a shift in the pH of the gut and destroy the gut bacteria resulting in a poorer digestive system and poor immunity. Consumption of UPF more frequently can lead to disruption of the gut microbiome, making them less diverse and leading to health issues.
Ultra-processed foods with high sugar can make harmful gut bacteria grow, upsetting the balance.
Artificial preservatives and emulsifiers can hurt the gut lining, letting harmful substances into the bloodstream.
These foods often lack fiber, which is important for gut bacteria health and diversity.
Keeping our gut microbiome healthy is key to a strong immune system, good digestion, and mental health. By choosing whole, less processed foods, we can help our gut bacteria and boost our health. Neglecting this delicate ecosystem can have far-reaching consequences.
Gut Bacteria Nutrient Role Bifidobacterium Aids in the digestion of complex carbohydrates and the production of short-chain fatty acids Lactobacillus Helps to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and supports the immune system Bacteroides Plays a role in the breakdown of proteins and the regulation of inflammation.
Recent reports from ICMR have shown 56.4% of the total disease burden in India is due to an unhealthy diet, releasing 17 dietary guidelines to meet the nutritional requirements, whilst preventing diseases like obesity and diabetes.
"A significant proportion of premature deaths can be averted by following a healthy lifestyle," the report stated. It emphasized that a rise in consumption of highly processed food and limited physical activity has led to a deficiency of micro-nutrients and an increase in obesity and diabetes. (3)
Reading food labels can be tough, but it's key to avoid additives. Here are some tips to help you:
Get to know the list of ingredients. Watch for long, unknown names that might mean msg or other similar additives.
Look for the nutrition fact label to understand the nutritional composition of the product
Be wary of terms like "natural flavors" or "artificial flavors." They can hide many unknown ingredients.
Know the difference between "natural" and "artificial" additives. "Natural" doesn't always mean it's safe, but it can tell you where the ingredient comes from.
Notice the order of ingredients, as they're listed by weight. The products are sequenced in decreasing order of their proportion in the product, starting from top to bottom.
This also helps to understand the nutritional value of the product, keeping in check the type of sugar and amount consumed in said quantity.
Packaged food cannot be completely eliminated from our lives, but reducing its consumption to a bare minimum can significantly benefit our long-term health. Choosing whole, minimally processed foods from trusted brands is key. This can greatly enhance our overall health and well-being.
By having fewer ultra-processed foods, one cut down on sugar, salt, and unhealthy additives. This can help you stay balanced and lower the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Supporting your gut health and avoiding harmful compounds also leads to a healthier life.
Your food choices deeply affect your body and health. Choose clean, nutrient-rich ultra-processed food and focus on healthy eating habits. This leads to a stronger, more resilient future.
References
1. Monteiro, Carlos Augusto, Geoffrey Cannon, Mark Lawrence, ML da Costa Louzada, and P. Pereira Machado. "Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health using the NOVA classification system." Rome: FAO 48 (2019).
2. Gibney, Michael J. "Ultra-processed foods: definitions and policy issues." Current developments in nutrition 3, no. 2 (2019): nzy077.
3. 2024. Accessed August 29. https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/upload_documents/DGI_07th_May_2024_fin.pdf.