Ultra-processed foods are all anyone in the health community can seem to talk about these days. But in spite of all of the talk, do any of us really know exactly what it’s all about? How much do we really know about the food we put into our bodies?
According to a recent study, more than half of the average diet in the UK consists of ultra-processed foods — but other studies have shown that, although this food group is known to increase the risk of a wide range of health issues, most of us don’t really know what ultra-processed foods actually are.
Ultra-processed foods, also known as UPFs, have only really garnered media attention in the last few years. As one 2020 piece in The Guardian explained, they’ve been around for decades, but we never had a name for them until Brazilian scientist Carlos Monteiro decided it was “time to demolish the pyramid” that separates food into grains, vegetables, dairy and meats, and instead classify food based on how processed it was. The least ‘healthy’ group in his new classification system was dubbed “ultra-processed.”
Since then, UPFs have become something of a buzzword in health communities — but it’s clear that a lot of us don’t really understand what makes food ultra-processed, why it’s potentially ‘bad’ for us and what we should actually be doing about it. Here’s what you need to know…
What are ultra-processed foods?
Most food we consume has undergone some degree of processing. “The majority of people don’t grow their own foods these days and most commercially available foods will have undergone some form of processing, such as being washed, chopped, or packaged,” says Kerry Beeson, Nutritionist (BSc) at Prep Kitchen.
Ultra-processed foods are foods which are “industrially formulated” and have undergone intensive processing. “These foods are not found in nature or a recipe book, and typically contain a long list of unrecognisable ingredients including food additives, preservatives, artificial flavour enhancers, high fructose corn syrup, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and hydrogenated fats,” she says. “You usually find that these foods have a very long shelf life, which is another indicator that there are not many ‘natural’ ingredients.”
Examples of common UPFs include sausages, bacon, ham, white bread, biscuits, jams, low-fibre breakfast cereals, crisps and fizzy drinks.
What do ultra-processed foods actually do to your body?
So, what actually happens when we eat a food that has been ‘ultra-processed’?
What happens to your body first?
The first thing that usually happens is a spike in energy.
“Due to the high sugar, salt or caffeine content [in many UPFs], when you first consume these foods you might feel an initial boost, which tricks you into thinking that they’re ‘good for you,’” explains Beeson. “Caffeine is a stimulant, which gives us an energy boost, and sugary foods result in a spike in our blood sugar which has a similar effect, or a ‘sugar rush’.”
