What You Should Know About Ultra-Processed Foods
Heavy consumption can lead to health problems, memory loss, and premature death
Increasing intake of Ultra-Processed Food by 10% was associated with a 25% increase in the risk of dementia and a 14% increase in the risk of Alzheimer´s disease.
This was the finding from a study published in the journal Neurology in 2022 looking at data from over 72,000 people.
In his book, Ultra Processed People, Chris van Tulleken conveys a key message that consumers do not have enough awareness about the individual ingredients that go into many of the household food items we buy. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) make up a huge proportion of our daily calorie intake and can have a destructive impact on our bodies if consumed in large quantities.
The aim of the publication is to give people the information needed about what is in our food so we are more informed about what we are putting into our bodies. Ultimately, more information can help us make more informed decisions.
What is an ultra-processed food?
UPFs are industrially formulated foods designed to be addictive, cheap, and highly profitable. Typically, they contain more than 5 ingredients. If you live in Europe, it is very likely that you have have UPF in your cupboard and consume them on a daily basis.
The NOVA food classification system was created in 2009 by Professor Carlos Monteiro and his colleagues at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. ´Nova´ translates into ´new´ in Portuguese. At the time of inception, it signified a ‘nova’ (new) way for people to think about the different levels of processing in food.
The NOVA food classification ranges from Group 1 to 4:
Group 1 foods are things like fresh, dry, or frozen fruit and vegetables, nuts, and fish.
Group 2 foods include oils, honey, and salts.
Group 3 foods are cheeses, homemade bread, and salted meats.
Group 4 foods are frozen meals, mass-produced breads, and the majority of fast-foods, energy bars, and pastries in supermarkets.
Group 4 foods are known are UPF. These foods are causing many of the health problems we experience today, such as death, strokes, heart attacks, and depression.
Take bread as an example.
Homemade sourdough bread consists of 3 ingredients: water, flour and salt.
Mass-produced breads, like Hovis in the UK, contains many more ingredients to extend shelf-life, for cost-efficiency reasons, and to meat bulk production requirements.
How much ultra-processed food could I be consuming?
More than before, we live much busier lives because of family obligations and work commitments. As a result, we have less time for the one thing that we must do to survive, which is eating healthily.
Many of the foods you are buying are invariably UPF because they are relatively cheap, addictive. and attractively marketed (for example breakfast cereals are marketed to make them more appealing to children). In the UK, over 50% of household purchases are UPF. This is closely followed by Germany, Ireland, and Belgium. Finland is also quite high due to the cold climate and the scarcity of fresh produce that is grown locally.
Whereas in Mediterranean countries, the percentage of UPF consumed is much lower because of the warmer climate and a wider availability of seasonal products. People prefer to cook with fresh ingredients, and the lifestyle also accomodates for this as there is more time for relaxation and eating.
What can I do about it?
Nevertheless, there is a lot that you can do to be in control of the food choices you make. It is just a matter of looking for the information.
Read the book
To be as informed as you could be, read the book. It is informative and well-written, meaning that you will probably enjoy getting through it. Chris van Tulleken gives many relevant and relatable examples of UPF in his personal diet and especially those of young children.
Look at the ingredients list of the foods you buy
In Chile 75% of people over the age of 15 were obese or overweight in 2016. Faced with this public health crisis, the Chilean government introduced food labels to warm consumers of foods that were high in calories, sugar, and saturated fats (the majority of UPFs). Consumers were given more information to enable them to make more informed decisions on their food purchases.
This is not done to the same extent in Europe. Nevertheless, best you can do now is look at the ingredients in a product. If there is a list of 6 ingredients or more, it is probably UPF. If there are ingredients on there you have never heard of before, it´s also probably UPF.
Take more time to cook fresh
Time is probably our most valuable resource, and we try to save time through convenience - which UPFs and ready-made meals give us.
However, the best thing you can do for your bank and belly is to take more time to cook fresh, so you know exactly what is going into your meals. If money isn´t an issue, try your best to buy pre-made food that you know is fresh.
If you´re really not convinced, then try and eat a 80% UPF diet for a month and see how you feel. Chances are you will put on weight, feel more tired, and hate life.
In the end, we are all responsible for making our own choices. But information is very important and we make poor decisions because we are not given accurate information and do not seek out the information.
Thanks for sharing! Processed food can never beat fresh ingredients! 👍💪✌️🙏😊
Hi JFT! Thanks for the comment, I appreciate that and I’m glad it helped.
Yes, you should definitely read it, it’s a very good read. And if you’ve never heard of the ingredient, it’s probably also UPF.