18 Apr To Your Health: Ultra-Processed Food, An Introduction, (Caveat Emptor)!
Welcome to the (resurrected) series which offers a deep dive into the world of health, wellness, and disease prevention with Telluride local Dr. Alan Safdi.
Dr. Alan is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, and a respected leader in healthcare. His blogs have featured and will continue to showcase the most current information in his fields: health, wellness and longevity. During Covid, Dr. Alan went radio silent – until now. Now Dr. Alan is back in action with “To Your Health.”
In this installment of “To Your Heath, Dr. Alan does a deep dive into why ultra-processed food may not be the best choice for our diets.
Scroll down to read the salient details and listen to the podcast to find out more.
In today’s world, ultra-processed foods dominate the average diet, contributing to widespread health issues. But it wasn’t always this way. Decades ago, meals were made from scratch using fresh, natural ingredients, so many of the health problems we now see were far less common.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – which feature long ingredient lists because they packed with unhealthy fats, added sugars, and sodium – are strongly linked to numerous health risks such as weight gain, hypertension, and cancer. UPFs are also associated with cardiometabolic diseases and neurological conditions such as cognitive decline and stroke.
The combination of unhealthy ingredients makes ultra-processed foods particularly harmful when consumed in large quantities over time. Did you know, for example, that packaged breads, buns, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods are commonly ultra-processed? Sad but true because they contain preservatives to extend shelf-life and significantly more sugar than their fresh-baked counterparts.
Why ultra-processed foods lack fiber:
Essential for digestive health and reducing chronic disease risk, fiber is primarily found in whole, plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
During the production of UPFs:
• Refining removes fiber: Whole grains are stripped of their bran and germ to create refined flours, removing most dietary fiber.
• Additives replace fiber: To prioritize taste, texture, and shelf-life, manufacturers use additives instead of fiber, making the products less nutritious.
• Focus on longevity: Fiber-rich components, such as whole grains or unprocessed plant matter, reduce a product’s shelf-life and increase production costs, leading manufacturers to exclude them.
Health impacts of ultra-processed foods:
Evidence strongly suggests that greater consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to adverse health outcomes:
• Mortality: Higher UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of early death.
• Cardiovascular diseases: Excessive UPF intake contributes to hypertension, heart disease, and related mortality.
• Type 2 diabetes: The lack of fiber and high glycemic content in UPFs promote insulin resistance.
A comprehensive review found that 71% of pooled analyses consistently linked higher UPF consumption with adverse health effects, emphasizing the urgent need for dietary reform.
Conclusion:
In the following discussion, Alan reflects on how our diets have changed over time. They examine what ultra-processed foods really are, and explore their far-reaching impact on health. Again, recognizing the dangers of UPFs and making informed dietary choices can help mitigate those harmful effects.
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