Extensive Research Reveals 32 Health Risks Linked to Ultra-Processed Foods

[erronis]

https://scitechdaily.com/extensive-research-reveals-32-health-risks-linked-to-ultra-processed-foods/

Ultra-processed foods, including packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, and ready-to-eat or heat products, undergo multiple industrial processes and often contain colors, emulsifiers, flavors, and other additives. These products also tend to be high in added sugar, fat, and/or salt, but are low in vitamins and fiber.

They can account for up to 58% of total daily energy intake in some high-income countries, and have rapidly increased in many low and middle-income nations in recent decades.

Overall, the results show that higher exposure to ultra-processed foods was consistently associated with an increased risk of 32 adverse health outcomes.

Convincing evidence showed that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with around a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48-53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes.

Highly suggestive evidence also indicated that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with a 21% greater risk of death from any cause, a 40-66% increased risk of heart disease-related death, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and sleep problems, and a 22% increased risk of depression.

The BMJ article referenced by this is not behind a paywall. Very detailed.
https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310

[brewens]

1. About 2019 I started improving my cooking and baking skills and turned into a homemade whole foods

fanatic. I make everything within reason now. If I could have a garden, I'd do more.

There is no way I could have done it when I was still working. It saves me a fortune as well as being way healthier.

It really saved my ass when COVID hit, and the stores were wiped out. Because of everyone else's poor eating habits, I could find enough of what I could make do with. If I had been still relying on canned and frozen foods, I would have been screwed.

[CousinIT]

2. Even vegan/vegetarian products like fake "chicken" nuggets...

...are made of "soy protein isolate". It's highly processed soy. The processing involves chemicals and removes all the fiber and other nutrients except the protein. Then the glop/paste is shaped, breaded and seasoned. I still eat it maybe once a week but on other days, I stick to protein from whole grains or use tempeh (which is fermented soy cake and not processed). Tempeh is cheap. I'm learning to marinate and air fry it - it's great on salads, with soup, with other cooked veggies or on a bed of brown or jasmine rice. Tofu or seitan are other options.

The processed soy products are usually not included in these studies but they are highly processed, and for the vegetarians and vegans out there, it's better to minimize consumption of them. I hope to get to a point that I'm not eating them at all (I do when I'm in a hurry or get home late or am very busy). It's a process but I'll get there.

[erronis]

3. Agree - air-fried tempeh and tofu are wonderful.

I do almost all of my non-stove-top cooking in the air-fryer now.

[Martin68]

4. Consumer Reports publishes a lot of guidance about processed food and how to avoid them.