Countryfile: Henry Dimbleby discusses processed foods
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New scientific research has been unveiled about the health impact of eating highly processed foods. Among people who have a history of cardiovascular disease, eating ultra-processed foods increases the risk of suffering a second, more fatal, heart attack. There was also an increase in all cause mortality linked to eating the foods. This means that they had a higher chance of dying from any unrelated cause alongside heart disease.
Ultra-processed foods refers to food that has been put through manufacturing processes and has a large number of synthetic ingredients.
They may contain a large number of ingredients “mostly of cheap industrial sources of dietary energy and nutrients plus additives”, according to the research paper.
They rarely contain whole foods and have a low nutritional value.
This includes confectionaries such as baked goods, soft drinks and candies but also reconstituted meat products such as burgers and sausages.
The research, published in the European Heart Journal, examined a variety of biomarkers for different aspects of health.
These were then compared between groups who ate different amounts of ultra-processed food.
Not only did eating ultra-processed food increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease but it increased other causes of death as well.
The researchers speculate that the food might interfere or alter the function of the kidneys, but will need to conduct further research to verify this.
Food qualities were measured using the NOVA scale (not an acronym).
A UN report on the NOVA scale breaks down in detail what the different types of food are, as well as why they are harmful.
The UN notes: “Food processing in itself is not the issue”, but that instead it is the specific processes used.
Pasteurised milk, for example, has been through a greater amount of processing than unpasteurised but contains fewer harmful bacteria.
Ultra-processed food goes beyond preparation methods, but instead breaks down foods into specific molecular components and then reassembles them.
Whole foods are converted into sugars, oils, fats and protein out of high yield crops like wheat and corn.
The final product is made artificially flavourful using chemical additives, and are high in preservatives such as salt and sugar.
Not all ultra-processed foods are modern junk foods, with the UN report noting that jam preserves also fit into this definition.
The UN provides advice on how to identify and avoid ultra-processed foods.
In some cases it is as simple as buying fresh produce, as science has yet to make a synthetic cabbage that is indistinguishable from the grown vegetable.
In other cases it becomes more difficult to tell, such as with bread products requiring you to check the ingredients list for emulsifiers and artificial colours.
The rule of thumb test is to look through the ingredients list and ask if there are any ingredients you wouldn’t find in a kitchen.
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