Science Alert Reports:
Quick Summary
In countries such as the UK, US and Canada, ultra-processed foods now account for 50 percent or more of calories consumed.
These foods have been linked to a number of different health conditions, including a greater risk of obesity and various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia.
Key Points
- The intense industrial processes used to produce ultra-processed foods destroy the natural structure of the food ingredients and strip away many beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
- A study that looked at over 20,000 Italian adults, found that participants who consumed the highest number of ultra-processed foods had an increased risk of dying prematurely from any cause.
- A second study, which looked at over 50,000 US male health professionals, found high consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of colon cancer.
The article states:
Simply reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods may be a challenge. Ultra-processed foods are designed to be hyper-palatable – and together with persuasive marketing, this can make resisting them an enormous challenge for some people. The best way to identify them is by looking at their ingredients. Typically, things such as emulsifiers, thickeners, protein isolates, and other industrial-sounding products are a sign it’s an ultra-processed food.