We live in a world filled with convenience and accessibility. So, it’s no surprise that our dietary habits have undergone a profound transformation in the past few decades. It used to be that families sat down to a healthy meal and enjoyed it in a relaxing atmosphere.
But these days, people grab more of their meals on the go or open a package to get the energy they need to get through the day. According to a Lancet study, almost 60% of the foods people eat are ultra-processed. Unfortunately, these foods lack true sustenance and contain additional additives.
So, why do we keep reaching for them? One reason is the rise of ultra-processed foods. Processing food has made it easy to devour a meal or snack in short order. Yet behind the facade of convenience, and clever marketing, lies a sobering truth—processed foods contribute to an alarming rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Why are ultra-processed foods problematic? By subjecting natural foods like grains to intensive processing methods, it delivers surprising amounts of sugar and carbohydrates to your body when you consume them. To compound the issue, the combination of these processed grains with seed oils has rendered them not only harmful but also addictive.
Let’s look more closely at the complex relationship between food processing and metabolic diseases and uncover the journey from nature’s bounty to a health nightmare.
The Impact of Food Processing:
Food processing involves altering natural foods through various techniques, such as refining, milling, and extraction. On the upside, these processes enhance taste, texture, and shelf life, but supply less nourishment and more additives that serve no purpose and could be harmful. Refining foods also removes their fiber.
Processing grains, for instance, removes valuable nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, leaving behind a concentrated source of carbohydrates—essentially, sugar. This sweetness overload disrupts your body’s delicate metabolic balance and contributes to health issues, like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Each time you eat refined carbohydrates with their lack of fiber, you get a sharper rise in blood sugar than you’d get by eating a whole, unprocessed food.
Sugar and Carbohydrate Overload
When you consume ultra-processed foods, you subject your body to a deluge of sugar and carbohydrates. Your body rapidly absorbs these sugars, and you get a sharp rise in blood sugar and insulin. Over time, this sweet environment makes the receptors on cells that take up glucose take cover, so glucose stays in your bloodstream longer and you develop insulin resistance.
When you have insulin resistance, cells don’t take up glucose as efficiently. Insulin resistance is a significant risk factor for developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. In turn, these conditions place you at higher risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease.
Seed Oils: The Hidden Villains
Along with refined grains, seed oils have snuck into the Western diet. These are inexpensive grocery store cooking oils like sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and others that undergo considerable heat processing. Omega-6s outnumber omega-3s in these oils.
This lopsided ratio may contribute to whole-body, low-grade inflammation, which increases the risk of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Take a healthier approach by using olive, avocado, or walnut oil. These oils contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Unveiling the Addictive Nature of Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods, laden with sugars, carbohydrates, and seed oils, have a profound impact on your brain and its balance of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that control your mood and appetite. Studies suggest these highly palatable foods can trigger addictive responses like drugs, hijacking reward pathways, so you feel gratified and keep eating them.
Therefore, you get caught up in a cycle of craving the foods that trigger reward pathways and are less likely to choose whole, nutrient-dense foods. This is harmful to health and weight control.
Breaking Free from the Lure of Ultra-Processed Foods
While the prevalence of processed foods may seem overwhelming, you can break free from this dietary disaster. By taking small steps, you can gradually upgrade your diet and enjoy more whole, nutrient-dense foods.
How can you do this? Think out of the package and explore the world of healthy and delicious whole food recipes. Replace starchy side dishes and refined carbohydrates with non-starchy vegetables and select whole grains over refined carbohydrates. Change the way you snack. Nuts and seeds are a healthier option than packaged chips.
Take it one step at a time by making one smart food switch. Read food labels and ingredient lists carefully, so you can make more informed choices when you do buy something in a package. Short ingredient lists and no added sugar is a good place to start. Any packaged foods you choose should be free of partially hydrogenated oils, a marker for trans-fat. Ask yourself whether convenience is worth your health!
Conclusion:
Ready to make a change? Acknowledge the impact of food processing can have on your metabolic health and empower yourself to make conscious choices that prioritize your health and well-being. Reclaim a healthier approach to eating and shift your grocery cart away from ultra-processed convenience foods. By doing this, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier, balanced way of eating.
References:
- Lustig RH. Ultraprocessed Food: Addictive, Toxic, and Ready for Regulation. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 5;12(11):3401. doi: 10.3390/nu12113401. PMID: 33167515; PMCID: PMC7694501.
- Whatnall M, Clarke E, Collins CE, Pursey K, Burrows T. Ultra-processed food intakes associated with ‘food addiction’ in young adults. Appetite. 2022 Nov 1;178:106260. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106260. Epub 2022 Jul 31. PMID: 35921867.
- “Ultra-processed food intakes associated with ‘food addiction’ in young ….” 01 Nov. 2022, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666322003518.
- “Ultra-processed food and chronic disease | Nature Food.” 11 Dec. 2020, https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-00207-3.
- “Ultra-processed foods and human health: What do we already know and ….” 03 Feb. 2021, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00027-4/fulltext.
- “Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study | BMJ Open”. Bmjopen.Bmj.Com, 2023, https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/3/e009892. Accessed 23 Jul 2023.
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