Understanding Processed vs. Ultra-Processed Foods
In 400 BC, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Never a truer statement was spoken. Understanding the differences between processed and ultra-processed food is crucial for making informed choices that impact your health and well-being. It can hold the key to a long, healthy life versus facing the risk of chronic disease. Approximately 66 percent of all adults in the United States take prescription drugs. Almost 40% of American adults over 20 are classified as obese, while 71.6% are either overweight or obese. For those of you struggling to lose weight, keep in mind that the chemicals and additives used in processed foods make them addictive and can manipulate taste, texture, and overall appeal, leading to overeating. Understanding the role of these foods can help us all make more informed choices and avoid overeating.
Whole foods are either unprocessed or minimally processed, maintaining their natural form without added sugars, fats, artificial ingredients, or preservatives. They are nutrient-dense, offering a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Examples include apples, bananas, berries, carrots, spinach, broccoli, brown rice, quinoa, oats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes (such as beans and lentils). These foods are typically consumed raw or prepared with minimal processing methods like steaming, baking, or boiling.
Processed foods, altered from their original form through cooking, freezing, or canning, often include added salt, sugar, or preservatives to enhance flavor or extend shelf life. Examples include canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, cheese, sugar-laden yogurt, and bread. When consumed in moderation, they can retain nutritional value and fit into a balanced diet.
Ultra-processed foods, in stark contrast, are a health hazard. These extensively processed products contain industrial ingredients and additives, including artificial flavors, colorings, and preservatives. They are typically high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt but severely lacking in essential nutrients. Examples include soft drinks, packaged snacks, and sugary cereals. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
The key difference lies in the degree of processing and the presence of artificial ingredients. Processed foods are minimally altered and generally have fewer artificial components, retaining more nutritional value. In contrast, ultra-processed foods are heavily modified, often resulting in poorer nutritional quality due to their high levels of sugars, additives, and unhealthy fats, such as hydrogenated fats, which have been chemically altered to make them more solid at room temperature. They are added to food to extend the shelf life and improve the texture, so you become addicted and consume more. Partial hydrogenation, which is the process, can create trans fats linked to an increased risk of heart disease, raise bad cholesterol levels, and lower good cholesterol levels.
Recent research has sounded the alarm on the health risks associated with both processed and ultra-processed foods. These findings are not just informative, they are a call to action for all of us to reconsider our dietary choices. This is especially important if you have children. The eating habits we establish for them now will influence their lifelong relationship with food and help them avoid diseases in the future.
A 2024 study in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) found a strong link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers due to their additives, unhealthy fats, and sugars.
Research in The Journal of Nutrition in 2024 showed that a diet high in processed foods might negatively affect mental health, raising the risk of conditions such as depression and anxiety. This could be attributed to high sugar, unhealthy fat content, and a lack of essential nutrients.
Here's an example. An apple is a whole food, but applesauce is processed since sugar has been added in most cases. Apple Jacks Frosted Apple Pop-Tarts are ultra-processed because they have many added ingredients: sugar, fat, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. So, opt instead for the apple. Your body will thank you!
Both processed and ultra-processed foods often contain unhealthy fats, salt, sugar, chemicals, and preservatives that can damage health. Minimize processed foods as much as you can but avoid ultra-processed foods. The good news is that we now have the information and knowledge to make positive changes.