A new study has linked ultra-processed foods to thousands of early deaths, warning that they make up too high a proportion of our diets in the UK.
But what actually are so-called UPFs, and should we be tearing apart our cupboards to throw them in the bin?
Nutritionists have warned for some time that foods with a long list of weird ingredients, such as diglycerides of fatty acids, are probably not very good for us.
The easiest way to tell if a food is UPF is to look at the back of the packet (and coming in a packet is itself a red flag), and see if the ingredients list looks like a science experiment.
We all know that junk food is bad for us, but UPFs aren’t only your typical ones like biscuits or crisps, which everyone knows are not nutrionally complete.
They also include ready meals, which stack the aisles of supermarkets,meats such as burgers and sausages, which may make up people’s main protein for the day, or low fat yoghurts or spread seen as a healthier choice.
False friends that look like they’ll nourish us
Some of the sneaky UPFs you wouldn’t expect are low fat products, which almost always contain extra sugar or dodgy sweeteners to make them palatable, ready meals that promise nutrition with convenience, and even some baby food pouches.
While natural yoghurt is a healthy choice – and not a UPF – flavoured options may do more harm than good, so you should check the ingredients to see if it’s just a swirl of honey, or a whole pack of additives.
Meats including burgers, sausages, and chicken nuggets can be bad, and are more processed than simply eating a cut of meat.
Granola bars, breakfast cereals, protein bars, and packaged smoothies can all seem healthy but be highly processed.
Are they really that bad?
The science is still not settled, but today’s study claims to have found a link between UPFs and poor health, though we should remember that doesn’t necessarily mean it caused it.
A spokesperson for the Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers in the UK, said: ‘We believe that the term ‘ultra processed foods’ is irresponsible and confusing for consumers.
‘It goes against government’s healthy eating guidelines and demonises a wide variety of foods that can help people achieve a healthy balanced diet, such as yoghurt, pasta sauces or bread.
‘Similarly, all additives that are used by food manufacturers are approved by the Food Standards Agency, who have robust processes in place to ensure that these are safe for us to eat and drink. It is irresponsible to state these ingredients are a risk to health.’
The NOVA classification system
The NOVA classification system is often used to categorise foods, and is relied on by epidemiologists when looking at the wider health effects of UPFs. These are the four categories it uses for foods:
1. Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
These are natural foods that still look very similar to their original form.
While they may have been processed in some way, this is minimal, such as cleaning, drying, or freezing. Examples include fresh and frozen fruit and veg, dried fruit such as raisins, pulses and grains, and meats like steak or chops which have not been processed or reconstitued.
2. Processed Culinary Ingredients
These are substances extracted from natural foods or from nature to add flavour and seasoning, like oils, sugar, salt and honey.
3. Processed Foods
These combine two or three ingredients, such as mixing things from groups one and two together. Examples include canned vegetables, cheeses, and fresh bread.
4. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
These generally contain many ingredients, and are far removed from the natural state of the foods used to make them. They tend to include sweeteners, chemicals, colourings, and preservatives.
Foods from the first three of the four Nova food classification groups would ideally make up the bulk of our diets.
Scientists are not agreed on exactly how dangerous UPFs are, however, and if some are worse than others. It seems certain that low quality sausage meat is worse for us than a tin of baked beans, for example, even if both are technically UPF.
It’s hard to find out exactly how bad they are and why, because the types of studies required to do so are very long-running and rely on observation of what people eat, when there would also be many other factors at play.
Processed meats have been singled out as a particular concern for years, with links to cancer and dementia including from deli meats and bacon even if they are not technically UPF.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine today has found that UPFs made up 53% of people’s energy intake in the UK – the second highest in the study after 55% in the US.
Researchers suggested that in 2018/19, some 17,781 premature deaths in the UK could have been linked to UPFs, according to their model.
We spoke to nutritionists about the effects of regularly eating UPFs, which are are often calorie dense but lacking nutrients, have a long shelf life and are flavour enhanced.
It’s not clear exactly why they are so bad for us, and if all UPFs are to blame or just certain ones.
Certain ingredients within ultra-processed foods, such as emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners are thought to disrupt the gut microbiome, causing gastrointestinal issues.
But it may be that the main problem with them is that they are not nutritionally balanced, and leave less room in our diets for better things.
Lily Keeling, a registered nutritionist for Green Chef, said: ‘After eating [UPFs] for a few days, they can cause greater spikes in blood sugar and lead to hunger pangs returning quickly, making us less energised and never satisfied. This cycle can lead to overeating, as we consume food at a pace that is too quick for our brains to recognise how full we are.’
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