Article Review: What are Ultra-Processed Foods? A detailed Scientific Guide
In the health fields we often talk about choosing whole, natural foods rather than processed and ultra-processed foods, but it is tough to know what types of foods are processed and which are ultra-processed. Social media also tosses out ideas about which types of foods are good for health and which should be avoided. This article that we recently reviewed can help serve as a guide to determining which foods to get at the store and which to keep to a minimum.
Ultra-processed foods are defined in this article as,
"Ultra-processed foods have been dramatically altered from their original form, often by removing original components and adding new ones that are meant to make a food taste better or have a longer shelf life."
Ultra-processed foods are linked to poor health outcomes and diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancers, dementia, and early death. They often lead to weight gain and higher BMIs.
**For more information on the dangers of ultra-processed foods check out the earlier blog post called, "Interesting Article: Ultra-Processed Foods and Health Status"**
Ultra-processed foods are different from processed foods because they are so altered from the original natural food that they are no longer recognizable as the original food. Processed foods still contain vitamins and minerals from the original natural foods, whereas ultra-processed foods contain very minimal vitamins and minerals and have more additives.
Some ways to recognize an ultra-processed food are
Long ingredient lists
Packaged products that have an expiration date far away from the time you are buying the product
High sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat content
Low fiber content
Complicated ingredients near the top of the ingredient list like, isolates, high-fructose corn syrup, or maltodextrin
Ways to avoid ultra-processed foods include
Keeping Added Sugars less than 10% of your total daily calories (in a 2,000 calorie diet that would be 200 calories or 50 grams of added sugars)
Keeping Saturated Fat less than 10% of your total daily calories (in a 2,000 calorie diet that would be 200 calories or about 20 grams of saturated fat)
Keeping sodium less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day
Aim for the 10:1 goal of 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrates in a product (so for a product that has 30 grams of total carbohydrates, it should have at least 3 grams of fiber)
The NOVA scale was created to help explain and define which foods are processed and to what degree.
Unprocessed/Natural - things like fruits and vegetables
Minimally Processed - have some unwanted/inedible parts removed, but do not contain any added ingredients. For example olive oil, raw honey, or intact grains
Processed - ingredients like oil, sugars, salts, or fats have been added, but the product is still recognizable to the original food. Examples include canned fruits and vegetables, cheese, or flour
Ultra-processed - made entirely from substances extracted from foods like oil, fat, sugar, starch, protein. Few, if any, ingredients come from natural plant or animal sources. Examples include potato chips, corn chips, french fries, cookies
Being boxed, canned, or frozen does not automatically mean that the product is ultra-processed. Check the label for added sugar, sodium, saturated fats, and the ingredient list.
Written by: Meghan Hawley, Ellen Byron and Associates
Reference: "What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? A Detailed Scientific Guide" on Everyday Health, Written by Lisa Rapaport and Medically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RDN
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