It's a well-known fact that munching on too much ultra-processed food (UPF) can lead to some pretty nasty health problems. These pre-packaged noshes, stuffed with a laundry list of ingredients, are notorious for driving up obesity rates and a slew of other health woes.
But now, a fresh report has thrown even more shade on UPF, linking it to a whopping 32 dodgy health outcomes including the big Cs like cancer and cardiovascular conditions, not to mention diabetes and feeling down in the dumps.
The study, whipped up by Deakin University down under, sifted through data from nearly ten million people pulled from a bunch of studies already out there. What they found was a bit of a shocker: those who were tucking into the most UPF had a 21% greater chance of kicking the bucket early and a heart-stopping 50% greater risk of death from ticker troubles.
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Chowing down on loads of UPF was also tied to feeling blue, with a 22% uptick in depression risk, and about half as likely again to suffer from jitters and rubbish sleep.
And here's the kicker: apparently, 57% of the daily grub energy for grown-ups comes from UPF, with the young'uns, the adolescents, gobbling an even more staggering 66%. "These sweeteners used to be limited to little sachets and diet soft drinks," dished out Dr Chris van Tulleken, the man behind Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food ... and Why Can't We Stop?
"Now they're in everything: breads, cereals, granola bars, 'lite' yoghurts, no-added-sugar ice cream, flavoured milk," he told the Times.
Compared with natural and minimally processed foods, UPFs tend to be less nutritious and often filled with additives, colourings, and preservatives.
Dr Van Tulleken has even asserted that if a food contains artificial sweeteners, it is, by definition, classed as a UPF.
So, what are some of the worst culprits you should avoid?
Here are nine:
Sugary breakfast cereals:
Research carried out at Queen Mary University of London has revealed that some breakfast cereals consist of a third of their weight or more from sugar, amounting to eight teaspoons per 100g.
Any cereals that are artificially coloured, shaped or flavoured should also land in the category of ultra-processed.
Opt for minimally processed and slightly sweetened alternatives like porridge oats.
Ready meals:
It's estimated that 90% of the population consumes ready meals, with two-fifths doing so once a week.
However, these UPF meals are likely high in salt, sugar, fat, and additives.
A study hailing from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute found the levels of sugar in ready meals to be significantly higher than those in equivalent homemade meals.
Scientists from Newcastle University and the University of Cambridge have also reported that supermarket ready meals are "high in saturated fat and salt."
Whenever possible, cook from scratch.
Store-bought pre-packaged cakes and biscuits:
Mass-produced cakes and biscuits aren't exactly the pinnacle of nutrition. They're often packed with additives, artificial flavourings, and a whole host of preservatives.
A study from Queen Mary University in London has found that an astonishing 97% of shop-bought cakes and 74% of biscuits would qualify for a "red" (high) warning label for sugar content, indicating they contain more than 27g of sugar per 100g.
Pre-packed meat products:
Fancy a sausage roll, a slice of ham, or some crispy bacon?
Well, these processed meats could increase your chances of getting bowel cancer. These products frequently contain nitrites, which are associated with the formation of cancer-causing chemicals.
Health experts recommend keeping processed meat consumption under 70g per day, but ideally, it would be best to cut them out of your diet completely.
Vegan meat substitutes:
Opting for a plant-based diet might bring undeniable health benefits, but many vegan "meat" products are highly processed and crammed with extra salt and flavour enhancers. Action on Salt's research highlighted that 28% of all the vegan meat alternatives they examined had worryingly high sodium levels.
These vegan options also tend to lack the iron and B vitamins that real meat provides.
Ultra-processed cheeses:
Classic cheese is packed with essential protein, a good dose of calcium, and a host of vital vitamins. But beware, those ultra-processed cheese slices often contain only about 60% real cheese, mixed with emulsifying agents and other ingredients like vegetable oils, extra salt, food colourings, and sugar.
Always check the labels.
Artificially flavoured corn chips:
While some plain, salted snacks might not be ultra-processed foods (UPFs), many types of corn tortilla chips are far removed from natural corn. "Some of these corn chips are more highly processed than others, having been cooked in refined oils with artificial flavours and preservatives added," warns dietitian Rhiannon Lambert, author of The Science of Nutrition (DK).
"A 100g serving can contain nearly 30g of fat, over one third of the maximum daily amount."
If it tastes heavily flavoured, it's best avoided.
Flavoured yoghurts:
Yoghurt might seem like a healthy choice, but many flavoured versions are so heavily modified and refined that they bear little resemblance to the original product. A survey by the Food Foundation discovered that 53% of yoghurts on sale contain four cubes or more of sugar per pot.
The daily allowance for children aged four to six is just five cubes. Even some plain yoghurts can cross into UPF territory if they contain thickeners like pectin.
Fizzy drinks:
Almost a quarter of the sugar in our diets comes from sweet beverages like squashes, cordials and fizzy drinks, Lambert points out. And diet versions aren't much better.
"As well as the sweetener Acesulfame K, caffeine, flavouring and colouring, it contains phosphoric acid, which rots teeth and leaches the minerals out of our bones," Dr Van Tulleken points out. "Whether or not it's a tiny bit better or worse than full-sugar [cola] is moot - they're both terrible for your body."
The takeaway is straightforward to boost our health and wellbeing, cutting down on ultra-processed foods is essential. Embracing natural, minimally processed whole foods is the best strategy.
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