Ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, are everywhere. In fact, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that over 55% of the average American diet consists of UPFs.
Researchers at the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University define UPFs as foods that are “bioengineered for maximum palatability.” As well as using refined ingredients made from extracting substances from a plethora of unhealthy ingredients including, but not limited to, sugars, salts, fats, artificial colors, starches, emulsifiers (ingredients that help mix two liquids that don’t usually mix), and stabilizers (ingredients used to maintain the food’s consistency).
A study from the National Institutes of Health found that people eat upwards of 500 extra calories a day by including UPFs in their diet, roughly equivalent to a fourth meal. However, the extra calories are not the only problem.
A study of over 10 million people conducted by the British Medical Journal found that adverse health consequences were discovered from the consumption of UPFs.
According to the British Medical Journal’s study, “Ultra-Processed Food Exposure and Adverse Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review of Epidemiological Meta-Analyses,” “Overall, direct associations were found between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters spanning mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes.”
With such potential negative health outcomes on the rise, people are starting to get worried. In 1986, California passed Proposition 65, which requires warning labels on all foods that may contain ingredients linked to cancer and other harms. Proponents of the law hoped that this law would help companies become more transparent with what ingredients they are including in their products.
However, the label of UPFs may be misleading. “Not all ultraprocessed foods are bad,” according to findings from Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University. Her findings show that certain whole grain breads which are high in fiber are considered a UPF because they are made in mass, even with minimal processing. The same goes with certain types of yogurt; some types may contain sugar which leads to their classification as UPFs.
Still, UPF consumption generally is detrimental to your health. It is the intention of food producers to make ultraprocessed foods taste as good as possible. “These are foods that are being designed to make people addicted,” according to the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University.
Overall, almost all nutrition experts agree that ultra-processed foods carry many inherent health risks. With the rising prevalence of UPFs being found in American diets, it’s important to keep aware of what you are eating and always being in control of your diet by moderating your UPF consumption.
