Processed Food: What Is It and Why Is It Bad for Metabolic Health?
Takeaways
Unprocessed and minimally processed foods contain no added ingredients or chemicals. They should make up the bulk of your diet.
Processed and ultra-processed foods have added salt, sugar, oil, or other substances. While they aren't inherently bad for health, they can quickly push you past your daily recommended intake of sodium, sugars, and calories.
Excessive consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
To tell if a food is processed or ultra-processed, look at its ingredient label. If it contains far too many ingredients you can’t pronounce or easily find in your kitchen, put it back on the shelf.
Don't cut out all processed and ultra-processed foods from your life overnight. Instead, work on gradually phasing them out for a more sustainable—and enjoyable—approach.
Processed foods are becoming a significant part of our diet. In fact, research has shown that ultra-processed foods now make up 25 to 60% of a person’s daily energy across the globe.
These foods can affect your metabolic health (e.g., blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels), leading to poorer health outcomes like obesity or insulin resistance.
Despite your best intentions to choose less processed foods, though, the staggering number of options available in the grocery store could undoubtedly be confusing—making it challenging for you to make healthier choices.
So, to help you out, we'll show you in this article how to differentiate between the different types of processed foods commonly available in a supermarket.
What are processed foods?
As surprising as this may be to hear, foods aren’t simply split into either “processed” or “unprocessed”. Instead, the NOVA classification system divides food into 4 main categories:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
Processed culinary ingredients
Processed foods
Ultra-processed foods
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
There isn't a stark difference between unprocessed and minimally processed foods.
Unprocessed foods are whole foods with no added chemicals or ingredients. Examples include raw fish, raw meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Meanwhile, minimally processed foods are foods that have been boiled, steamed, crushed, pasteurized, or dried during processing but have no added fat, sugar, oil, or salt. Minimally processed foods include items such as dried mushrooms, frozen or dried fruit, and canned vegetables that are not packaged in brine.
Both unprocessed and minimally processed foods contain no added ingredients or chemicals and should take up most of your shopping cart space during grocery runs.
Processed foods and ultra-processed foods
Processed foods have added salt, sugar, oil, or other substances to enhance durability, taste, and texture. These retain most of their basic components but usually undergo processes such as canning, drying, smoking, curing, or pickling.
Examples of processed foods include tofu, cheese, bacon, ham, vegetables canned in brine, and smoked fish.
Contrary to popular belief, not all processed foods are bad, but these products can easily push you past your daily recommended intake of salt, fats, oils, and sugars. For instance, 100g of bacon contains around 1,830mg of sodium. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting your daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300mg per day.
Similar to processed foods, ultra-processed foods also have added sugar, fat, oil, and salt. Other additives you may spot in ultra-processed foods include flavor enhancers, coloring, bulking agents, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and emulsifiers.
Examples of ultra-processed foods include pre-packaged bread, cakes, pizzas, nuggets, chips, and crackers. Even that seemingly healthy breakfast cereal or meal replacement shake may fall under this category.
Often, these added ingredients make the foods extra delicious and attractive. In fact, research has shown that highly-processed foods are associated with addictive-like eating behavior. So it's no surprise that these junk foods are so tempting and difficult to give up!
Processed vs. whole foods: how to tell them apart
Manufacturers are not responsible for stating what processes their products undergo on the food label. Plus, some food labels can be very misleading.
Certain foods such as fresh vegetables are clearly whole, unprocessed foods. However, it can be hard to identify specific types of processed foods that come pre-packed.
Here are some tips for identifying processed and ultra-processed foods:
You notice food substances not commonly used in the kitchen appear at the start or middle of the food ingredients list. Such substances include hydrolyzed proteins, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, and hydrogenated oil.
You notice additives such as colors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and bulking agents towards the end of the ingredients list.
Understanding food labels can be quite a challenge. So, if you're in a rush, here's a general guideline: any product with far too many ingredients you can't read, pronounce, or understand goes right back on the shelf.
How processed foods affect our metabolic health
Beyond their calorie-dense nature, ultra-processed foods also contain lower nutrient levels (e.g., vitamins and minerals) than whole foods.
Thus, if consumed excessively, ultra-processed foods can be harmful to our health.
For instance, a 2019 study has shown that a higher proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. This is because a greater consumption of these foods can increase your daily energy intake and cause you to gain weight, both of which are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the study, some additives may even hamper your glucose tolerance and lead to insulin resistance.
If you have diabetes, consuming ultra-processed foods may make it harder to manage your blood glucose levels. Because ultra-processed foods are broken down quicker compared to whole foods, they can lead to blood sugar spikes and poorer diabetes control.
On top of that, large-scale research has proven that an increased intake of ultra-processed foods can heighten your risk of heart disease and stroke by over 10%.
Consuming ultra-processed foods can also affect your weight. For example, in this 2019 study, participants gained weight on an ultra-processed diet and lost weight on an unprocessed diet. Hence, reducing the intake of processed foods may be effective in combatting obesity.
Tips for weaning off processed foods
Below, find a few tips that may help guide you in the right direction toward healthier eating:
Opt for healthier snack alternatives to keep your hands off junk food.
Swap out refined grains, like white pasta and bread, for whole grains, like brown rice and whole-grain bread.
Try incorporating vegetables into your dishes whenever possible, such as adding tomatoes to your scrambled egg.
Try meal prepping once a week to have batches of healthy meals ready to go.
Swap out sugar-infused drinks, such as packet juices and soft drinks, for plain water.
Read food labels to avoid being misled by false advertising.
Understandably, changing your eating habits and retraining your palate can be very challenging, and this is why overly-restrictive diets often backfire. Instead, it's best to gradually cut down on the quantity of processed foods in your diet by starting with just one or two small changes at a time.
Processed foods and your metabolic health
Not all processed foods are bad. However, those with higher added salt, sugar, and fat content can hurt your health. You can identify these by reading the food labels.
On the other hand, it's best to avoid ultra-processed foods. These can significantly increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. In any case, whole foods and minimally processed foods are the healthier options.
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