Is there a need for a better world? Understanding processed food is necessary for the survival of the planet and the future of human health
Say “processed food” and most of us picture unhealthy, cheap junk. It’s good to eat from the garden or the field. Once we’ve put it through a processing plant or a laboratory, we’ve removed its halo qualities and added a bunch of bad ones. That means meat substitutes are no better than junk food.
This viewpoint is not long-sighted. We’re not going to feed billions a nutritious diet sustainably without food processing. The growing backlash against processing is one that neither people nor the planet can afford.
A lot of the benefits we have come to know and love from processed foods are quickly forgotten. Iodized salt is just one example; iodine deficiencies used to be common across the world, leading to increased risks of stillbirths and miscarriages, significant reductions in IQ, and reduced cognitive development. Most of the world consumes salt with added iui, and many countries have eliminated this deficiency. We have been able to address some of the micronutrient deficiencies by adding more minerals to the food.
Enhancement of shelf life is one of the ways we have been able to reduce food waste. We have reduced the spread of food-borne diseases. Those with food allergies and intolerances can now eat a balanced diet. We don’t need to cook food, which has been an important part of the educational and career development of women. Last but not least: taste. Our shelves are now lined with great-tasting foods.
“Ultra-processed foods are produced with industrially derived ingredients and often use food additives to adjust colour, flavour, consistency, texture, or extend shelf life,” said first author Dr. Kiara Chang, a National Institute for Health and Care Research fellow at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, in a statement.
The problem is that they are high in calories, sugar and fat. And they’re lower in protein and fiber, the nutrients that keep us full.
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The study found that there were more deaths from cancers. It was found that the risk of dying from cancer increased by six percent for each additional ten percent increase in ultraprocessed food consumption.
Overly processed foods include prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals, as well as hot dogs, sausages, french fries, sodas, store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, doughnuts, ice cream and many more.
People who eat more ultra-processed foods also drink more soft drinks and tea, as well as less vegetables and other foods that are associated with a healthy diet.
Researchers examined information on the eating habits of 197,426 people who were part of the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that followed residents from 2006 to 2010.
“These associations persisted after adjustment for a range of socio-demographic, smoking status, physical activity, and key dietary factors,” the authors wrote.
According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is the fifth most fatal cancer of the female reproductive system.
The findings from previous studies aren’t clear on a link between cancer and UPFs, but the new analysis published today does not lack evidence of this.
Vamos said that the new UK-based study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but other evidence showed that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diet could give health benefits.