February 23, 2024
Hendrik Schmidt/dpa; Sipa USA
Ultra-processed foods, which include chips and chocolate, contain a patchwork of ingredients, additives and preservatives designed to add flavor and a longer shelf life. They have been linked to cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Potato chips, pretzels, chicken nuggets, sugary drinks and frozen dinners are among a whole category of foods that is getting attention these days, and it is not because of convenience or taste.
For the first time, ultra-processed foods are the focus of scientists preparing new dietary guidelines. The questions to be reviewed by the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reflect "a new emphasis on weight loss and weight maintenance because the prevalence of obesity continues to increase and is associated with other chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
In particular, the scientists will examine ultra-processed foods, a step long sought by advocates like Harvard Professor Jerold Mande who argues that 678,000 Americans die each year from chronic food illness, with "mounting evidence that ultra-processed foods are causing much of this harm."
The committee is currently in third step of a five-step process, the review of scientific evidence, which will carry them through the later part of 2024. Their work will culminate in a report to the secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture in 2025.
The ultra-processed foods designation originated in 2010 when Brazilian researchers developed a classification system that categorized food products by the way they are processed. As anyone who has read a candy bar label can attest, they are characterized by the extended number of ingredients and additives not commonly found in a household kitchen. Critics have called them not real food, and a modern invention to make foods as cheap as possible.
The Cleveland Clinic defines ultra-processed or highly-processed foods as a patchwork of ingredients, additives and preservatives designed to add flavor and a longer shelf life. These include fats, starches, sugars, salts and hydrogenated oils extracted from other foods. These "modified ingredients" can lead to a variety of health conditions, which is why some dietitians advocate for whole and minimally-processed foods.
The MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas uses the concept of a food spectrum to help people understand ultra-processed foods. At one end of the spectrum are unprocessed foods like whole grain oats or apples. In the middle are processed foods with just a few added ingredients that still lean toward whole foods. They include canned vegetables, freshly baked bread and pasteurized milk. At the other end are ultra-processed junk foods made mostly from substances extracted from foods, derived from food components, and stripped of the nutrients that make us healthy. They are linked to weight gain and health conditions like heart disease, dementia, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
What has dietary scientists concerned is the growing prevalence of ultra-processed foods in the diets of Americans. A report from the journal BMJ shows that ultra-processed foods account for almost 58% of the American diet and 90% of the energy from added sugars. Additional research out of New York University's School of Global Public Health found that "consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased over the past two decades across nearly all segments of the U.S. population." According to researchers, the sharpest increase was among older adults, once a group – the group that at the least amount of ultra-processed foods at the beginning of the 18-year study.
Dr. Stephen Devries, a preventive cardiologist and executive director of the educational nonprofit Gaples Institute in Chicago, is much more blunt in expressing his concern, saying "ultra-processed foods are better at preserving shelf life than human life." In 2022, he called ultra-processed foods "clever manipulations of mostly unhealthy ingredients titrated to appeal to common cravings – tasty by design, but it's all a trick." Devries further described ultra-processed foods as "the perfect storm to promote overconsumption and weight gain."
The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research calls ultra-processed foods addictive and nutritionally void with pro-inflammatory ingredients to be avoided. And the British Heart Foundation reports that consuming high amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke and even early death.
The Canadian government's food guide offers some practical tips on avoiding ultra-processed foods. Their common-sense advice includes eating them less often and in smaller amounts and replacing them with healthier options. As for those options, consider drinking water instead of sugary drinks, eating leftover baked chicken instead of deli meats, and replacing store-bought muffins with homemade versions. They also recommend that you stock your kitchen with healthy snacks like nuts, fruit and carrots.
A University of Michigan poll found that 1 in 8 Americans over 50 showed signs of addiction to ultra-processed foods and beverages. Researchers measured "whether, and how often, older adults experienced the core indicators of addiction in their relationship with highly-processed foods such as sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks and fast food. These addiction indicators include intense cravings, an inability to cut down on intake and signs of withdrawal." Intense cravings were the most frequently reported symptom with nearly 1 in 4 saying that at least once a week they had such a strong urge to eat highly-processed food that they couldn't think of anything else. Couple these addictive qualities with links to disease and even death and you can see why ultra-processed foods are under new scrutiny and are likely to make their way into the dietary guidelines for the first time.
The temptation for ultra-processed foods is everywhere. They are appetizing, convenient, and often made to sound nutritious. What can you do?
The Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University offers some great tips. Read food labels. Long lists of chemical-sounding ingredients often mean ultra-processing. Be conscious when shopping or dining out. Avoid common sources of ultra-processed foods like convenience stores and try to frequent local restaurants that offer fresh foods instead of fast-food restaurants. Improve your culinary skills and cook at home using fresh foods. And move away from ultra-processed snacks by eating full meals and saving leftovers.
Finally, from my playbook, remember that healthy behavior is a team sport. Building these practices into the culture of your family can go a long way to avoiding ultra-processed foods and enjoying healthy alternatives over the long haul. With advertising pushing our impulse to grab the cookie or chip, it's not always easy to resist, but with a strong social support system you can develop the discipline to reap the benefits and avoid the pitfalls.
