We’ve all seen the warnings that ultra-processed foods can wreak havoc on our health, but avoiding all ultra-processed foods is not practical for most people (especially since it is estimated that in the U.S. 70% of the foods in supermarkets are ultra-processed) and could cause other psychological issues with food. But not all ultra-processed foods are bad, so we don’t need to have an excessively limited variety for our diet. Let’s take a look at how we can tell.
A study in 2024 (Ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular disease: analysis of three large US prospective cohorts and a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies) looked at different types of ultra-processed foods and found that some were linked to lower risks of cardiovascular diseases, showing that not all ultra-processed foods are created equal.
The study found that sugary and artificially sweetened drinks, along with processed meats, were linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. But cereals, breads, savoury snacks, and yoghurt and dairy-based desserts were linked to a lower risk of these diseases.
Some scientists have also done experiments on themselves, putting themselves on ultra-processed diets to see what the effect is on the body. The problem is that most of them have focussed on chips, cool drinks, pastries, frozen foods, and cereals, and their health has always deteriorated. But the amount of food that can be considered ultra-processed is huge, including everything from vegan meat replacements, non-dairy milks to chips, biscuits and candy.
A U.S. based dietician, Jessica Wilson, did her own experiment with ultra-processed food for a month (Why One Dietitian is Speaking Up for ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods), with 80% of her daily calories coming from ultra-processed foods. “She found that she had more energy and less anxiety. She didn’t need as much coffee to get through the day and felt more motivated. She felt better eating an ultra-processed diet than she had before. This change, she attributes to taking in more calories by eating full meals, instead of haphazard combinations of whole-food ingredients.”
A new food processing algorithm has been developed by Giulia Menichetti and colleagues which can take in any ingredient list and come out with a food processing score that tells you how processed the food is. Check it out on https://www.truefood.tech/intro?store=all. This is great news, but unfortunately, no South African products are on the database yet.
Addiction to ultra-processed foods is real. Knowing how to make better choices will help, but we’ve still got to get through the adjustment phase.
