Extremely-Processed Meals: Pal or Foe?

October 1, 2024 · 3:58 AM

Strawberry shortcake in Amarillo, TX. Yeah, I loved the heck out of it.

We’ve heard or suspected for years that entire meals are more healthy for us than processed and ultra-processed meals. However is it true?

The British Medical Journal earlier this yr revealed a research concluding that:

…the next consumption of ultra-processed meals was related to barely increased all trigger mortality, pushed by causes aside from most cancers and cardiovascular ailments. The associations diverse throughout subgroups of ultra-processed meals, with meat/poultry/seafood based mostly ready-to-eat merchandise exhibiting notably robust associations with mortality.

You’ll be able to learn the research for your self free on-line. Did Large Meals (e.g., Archer Daniels Midland, Con-Agra, Monsanto) exert any strain on the researchers. I dunno.

From the Intro:

Extremely-processed meals are ready-to-eat/warmth industrial formulations made principally or completely from substances derived from meals, together with flavors, colours, texturizers, and different components, with little if any intact entire meals.1Extremely-processed meals, that are usually of low dietary high quality and excessive power density, have been dominating the meals provide of excessive earnings nations, and their consumption is markedly rising in center earnings nations.2 Extremely-processed meals consumption accounts for 57% of each day power consumption amongst adults and 67% amongst youths within the US in response to the Nationwide Well being and Vitamin Examination Survey (NHANES).3 4

Extremely-processed meals often disproportionately contribute added sugars, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, and refined carbohydrates to the food plan along with low fiber.5 6 In addition to having low dietary high quality, ultra-processed meals could comprise dangerous substances, equivalent to components and contaminants shaped throughout the processing.

Neurologist Steven Novella wrote a quick submit about this research over at Science-Primarily based Drugs. You might also discover the remark part there enlightening.

Steve Parker, M.D.