Is ultra-processed food really that bad for your health?

The US Secretary of Health, Robert J. Kennedy Jr., has stated that The blame for the poor health of their fellow Americans lies with ultra-processed foods.and has launched a campaign against these foods, which it defines as true "poison," to make the US healthy again (Make America healthy againOn average, it is estimated that Between 58% and 75% of the food intake of citizens of the United States is based on ultra-processed foods The percentage of skilled workers in the US is higher, while in other countries the percentage is much lower (31% in France or 25% in Spain). It is also true that US citizens have a life expectancy of around 78 years—four years lower than in other countries with a similar average purchasing power—and a lower percentage of older adults with a good quality of life due to the increase in diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic problems. But what is the real cause? Is it all the fault of ultra-processed foods?

It is true that the American public has a serious problem with eating habits, but also with a lack of physical exercise in adulthood, which contributes to a greater propensity for cardiovascular problems and obesity (with nearly 50% of citizens obese, compared to 27% in the UK or 3.5% in the UK). Furthermore, it is a predominantly sedentary country, where people need a car to get around, commute to work, and buy essentials. But it is important to consider that there is also a large increase in mortality among young people (between 15 and 49 years old), due to drug addiction (in addition to hard drugs, prescription opioids for pain, such as fentanyl, They generate an addiction that can lead to dependency and suicide), and deaths from firearms and car accidents. On the other hand, the US is also a country of great contrasts, and life expectancy is very different between affluent people with a certain level of education and economic status in New York or California, compared to other states where there is a majority population of African American, Latino, or Native American origin.

What is ultra-processed food?

The term ultra-processed food The term was coined in the early 21st century by nutritionists who wanted to describe foods that undergo extensive processing and have many additives before being consumed. These are generally industrially manufactured foods. This category includes potato chips, commercially baked goods, breakfast cereals, energy bars, soy-based products that resemble "meat," and certain types of yogurt. Many prepared meals also undergo extensive processing, but even some home-cooked foods are ultra-processed. Therefore, currently, Many experts are calling for a new definition of the term, Since the current system doesn't consider the nutritional quality of the components, but rather the number of processes those components undergo before reaching our mouths, a packaged pizza is just as ultra-processed as a homemade torta de recapte with seasoned dough, roasted vegetables cooked over an open fire, and anchovies preserved in salt.

In fact, for thousands of years humans have processed food to preserve it (smoking, marinating, salting, etc.), to increase its nutritional value (grinding, fermenting, hydrolyzing it to make it into grains or cereals), and (adding spices, oil, etc.). Limiting our diet to products derived directly from their origin can be excessively restrictive, since there are foods that must be cooked and processed to release their full nutritional value. The question is, what are the health implications of this ultra-processing?

Many studies compare the health of people who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods with those who follow a diet without ultra-processed foods, but with the same nutritional components (equivalent amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats). These studies often yield seemingly conclusive results, showing a higher overall health in the group consuming more processed foods. However, when the ultra-processed diet is adjusted for higher nutritional quality (i.e., higher-quality foods with more fiber, vitamins, and probiotics), no significant differences are found between the two groups.

Although there are no studies with a large amount of data (humans struggle to stick to a prescribed diet), it may not be as important whether the food is ultra-processed or not as what it is. the quality of the food consumed and the amount of additives unnecessary steps involved. Thus, other studies analyze whether the weight gain associated with ultra-processed foods is due to the number of processes the food undergoes, concluding that One of the problems is that industrially processed ultra-foods are ultra-palatable.In other words, they attract us because they are very appetizing, with a texture, color, and flavor that is almost addictive, which makes us eat more than we need to satisfy our hunger. This is part of the problem: eating more of what seems most appetizing. So, what seems important is to reduce the amount of ultra-processed industrial food and choose foods with high nutritional quality. In this sense, we are fortunate, since the Mediterranean diet doesn't focus on how many processes the foods we consume undergo, but rather on the high quality of the raw materials, such as virgin olive oil, eating more fish than meat, incorporating plenty of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and nuts into the diet, and choosing whole grains that are digested slowly. As good health advice, we cook at home with quality, locally sourced ingredients.