What are ultra-processed foods and how bad are they for your health, really?
If you consumed a lot of news stories last year, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that bread is bad for you or that oats are unhealthy. Since last spring, ultra-processed foods seemed to make headlines in every national newspaper. ‘“It’s like trying to quit smoking”: why are 1 in 7 of us addicted to ultra-processed foods?’ read one. ‘Ultra-processed food is killing us but we’re too selfish to stop eating it,’ read another. ‘Wave of ill-health coming from ultra-processed food, experts warn,’ they continued.
The average person in the UK gets more than 50% of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). They’re everywhere. They’re in our shopping baskets, our children’s lunch boxes and our kitchen cupboards.
But what is an ultra-processed food? And what impact are they having on our health?
What are ultra-processed foods?
Usually brightly packaged, for many of us, ultra-processed foods have become entrenched in our lives – but what actually are they?
While there is technically no agreed formal definition, Rob Hobson, nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life (which was published earlier this month), says that ultra-processed foods generally have five or more ingredients and can’t be created at home.
‘They include many additives and ingredients not used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours,’ he says.
‘These foods generally have a long shelf life. They are manufactured to be convenient, cheap and hyper-palatable, which means they are easy to over-consume.’
Ultra-processed foods list
Ice cream
Chocolate and sweets
Ham
Sausages
Crisps
Mass-produced bread
Breakfast cereals
Cereal and energy bars
Biscuits, cookies, pastries
Fizzy drinks, energy drinks, milk drinks
Ready meals
Instant sauces
Fruit-flavoured yoghurts
Powdered and packaged instant soups
Margarines and other spreads
Spirits including vodka, rum, gin and whiskey
What’s the difference between ‘processed’ and ‘ultra-processed foods’?
There are several categories of processed foods which is why it can be a little confusing to decipher which foods are ‘processed’ and which are ‘ultra processed’, says Hobson.
‘Minimally processed foods are those that have undergone small changes to their natural state to preserve their shelf life while retaining their nutritional properties. This includes frozen vegetables, tinned pulses in water, parboiled grains, or pasta (made from flour and water).
‘Processed culinary ingredients are from nature and obtained by processes such as mining, refining, pressing, and extracting. This includes salt, sugar, butter, honey, maple syrup and olive oil,’ he continues.
‘Processed foods therefore are created by adding salt, oil, sugar, and other processed culinary ingredients to minimally processed foods. This includes canned vegetables in brine, salted nuts canned fish in brine, freshly made unpackaged bread and cheese. Other ready-made foods would fall into this category such as fresh ready-made sauces, shop-bought items like salads (no dressing) and convenience meals if the ingredient list contains natural ingredients with no additives.’
Ultra-processed foods, however, undergo extensive processing and are often left far from their original natural state. These products (as per the list above) typically contain a very long list of additives, artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners, and preservatives.
Are ultra-processed foods bad for you?
Research has linked ultra-processed foods to a litany of chronic conditions: increased risk of diabetes, obesity and even cancer. And more recent studies point to other downsides to these often delicious, always convenient foods – including increased risk of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline.
‘Recent research has highlighted potential links between UPF consumption and increased risks of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, inflammatory bowel conditions, depression, and dementia,’ Hobson explains.
‘A study by the Fourth Medical University in China indicated a 24 per cent higher risk of heart disease, stroke, or heart attack in people with the highest UPF intakes. Moderate UPF consumption was associated with a 12 per cent increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, animal studies suggest that certain emulsifiers in UPFs can alter gut bacteria diversity.’
What’s intriguing about this research, he says, is that even after adjusting for nutrients typically linked with these conditions (such as saturated fat, salt, and sugar), the increased risk persists. ‘This suggests that additives in UPFs, like emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners, might play a role.’
UPFs also contribute to obesity due to their altered food matrix. ‘The softer texture often bypasses the body’s understanding of fullness and more calories are eaten in a quicker space of time,’ Hobson says.
This can lead to overconsumption and a skewed fat-to-carbohydrate ratio, making them irresistibly moreish and increasing their addictive potential. ‘The design of some UPFs also encourages increased consumption due to their specific shape and mouthfeel,’ he adds.
Of course, as with all things nutrition-related, further research is needed to pinpoint the exact impact of various additives and in what quantities. ‘More detailed studies involving diverse ethnic groups are needed,’ Hobson says, ‘however, it’s evident that reducing UPF intake is advisable, especially considering that they constitute 50 per cent of the average UK shopping basket.’
It’s important to approach the topic of ultra-processed foods without overly simplifying it as a matter of ‘eat this, not that’, says Hobson. ‘Food choices are influenced by various factors, including budget and convenience, which are not always within an individual’s control. For instance, suggesting homemade bread or expensive sourdough as alternatives to packaged bread may not be feasible for everyone. Such recommendations could even impact their overall nutritional intake if bread is a staple in their diet.’
How to avoid ultra-processed foods?
Clearly, breaking free from cheap, convenient ultra-processed foods is one of the best things we can do for our health, but it can feel impossible to know where to begin. ‘The spectrum of foods in the UPF category is vast so it would be useful to have more of a sliding scale to help identify which are likely to be better choices than others,’ says Hobson.
First, you need to be able to identify what ultra-processed food looks like, then take a good look at what you eat and what is in your kitchen cupboards – ‘so you can see what your intake of UPF is, to begin with,’ he says.
Find your weakest point during the day when you would rely mostly on a UPF. ‘This may be your work lunch, when you feed the kids or when you come in from work and can’t face cooking. I would try to work on this part of the day first,’ says Hobson.
Look at some of the UPF meals you cook regularly and think about making homemade versions instead. ‘Start with a couple of recipes and try batch cooking them to keep some set aside for convenience and cost saving as cooking from scratch can be more expensive in some cases. This might be a homemade pot noodle, fishcakes, chicken Kyiv or curry instead of a ready-prepared version or takeaway,’ he adds.
Try making some of the condiments, sauces or snacks you eat on a regular basis from scratch. ‘Even if it is just one to begin with, so you get into the habit of making this one instead of buying it. Could be tomato ketchup, pesto sauce, hot sauce or a protein bar,’ he says.
You don’t have to make everything from scratch as some shop-bought products are much better than others. ‘Take plant milks for example – some are just the grain, legumes, or nut along with water and possibly a pinch of salt while others contain additives like thickeners and stabilisers. You just need to understand what to look out for on the label.’
Don’t view all of this as a chore. ‘Start slow and simple and work from there. Involve the family and get the kids to make some of these foods to make it more pleasurable and teach them a few things about home cooking and healthy eating. It also doesn’t have to get expensive as there are always ways to source cheaper foods which often means stepping outside of the supermarket and shopping in multiple places on the high street and local market to get the best deals.’
Cutting down on ultra-processed foods is often about being able to identify them (and paying attention to ingredients). When you buy packaged or ready-meal food, opt for choices that resemble something you might have in your kitchen, made with ingredients you recognise.
What are the easy alternatives to ultra-processed foods?
Here are Hobson’s top tips – and super easy swaps – you can make to help ditch the ultra-processed foods....
Replace fizzy drinks with infused water or herbal teas.
Make homemade vegetable crisps or nuts and seeds instead of reaching for a bag of flavoured crisps.
Choose freshly made bread from a bakery or homemade wholemeal bread over mass-produced packaged bread with a long shelf life if your food budget permits.
Prepare homemade versions of ready meals and takeaways.
Swap sugary breakfast cereals with homemade granola.
Switch fruit yoghurts for plain yoghurt with fresh fruit or make a compote with frozen fruit and a little honey thrown in the pan.
Make snack bars at home using dried fruit, nuts, and oats.
Rob Hobson’s Unprocess Your Life: break free from ultra-processed foods for good, was published by Thorsons on 4th January 2024.
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