If you’ve ever tried to buy food that’s good for you, chances are you’ve run into the question: what does it mean when something is “ultra-processed”? It’s a term people toss around a lot, but few know what it refers to and how these foods differ from whole foods.
You might have a vague idea of what processed foods are and that they aren’t as healthy as the fresh foods you buy at your local farmer’s market or grocery store. Let’s dig a little deeper and look at what it means that food is ultra-processed.
Ultra-processed food contains unrecognizable ingredients
Processed food is any food altered from its natural state. There are varying degrees of food processing. Processed food can be whole food chopped, cooked, frozen, or pureed. Not all processed foods are unhealthy. A bag of vegetables in the freezer department of your local grocery store undergoes processing in the form of washing and chopping.
Yet veggies are healthy if they don’t contain lots of added sodium or an unhealthy sauce. Ultra-processed foods, however, contain other components that make them a less healthful option. For example, ultra-processed foods contain may contain synthetic additives. These can include:
- Artificial flavors and sweeteners (for example MSG).
- Preservatives such as BHA and BHT are added to prevent spoilage; these have been linked to cancer in rats.
- Food dyes such as Yellow 5 (Tartrazine), Red 40 (Allura Red AC), Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF), and Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow FCF).
- Food thickeners or emulsifiers
Ultra-processed foods often have long lists of ingredients on their labels because they contain so many additives. Some people even call them “Frankenfoods” because they no longer resemble actual food. Food additives fall into two categories: natural and synthetic (man-made).
Natural additives include vinegar or spices like paprika. Synthetic additives are often derived from petroleum products (e.g., mineral oil), which means they are less healthy than most natural additives and ingredients.
Ultra-processed foods often contain refined grains instead of whole grains; refined flour instead of unrefined; refined sugar instead of honey or molasses; and hydrogenated fats instead of butter or olive oil. Their basic ingredients are altered and no longer resemble whole foods. Think about that frozen pizza in the freezer department or a box of cereal at your local grocery store. These are some of the most popular ultra-processed items.
Ultra-processed food is often more energy-dense
Energy density is a fancy way to say the number of calories in a given weight of food. Energy density measures how much energy food supplies but says nothing about its nutritional content. Unprocessed foods have a lower energy density because they don’t contain added fats and sugar that boost their calorie content. In contrast, ultra-processed foods often contain an abundance of these dietary components. Ultra-processed foods also lack fiber.
Why is a lack of fiber important? Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. It passes through your digestive system and helps you feel full, lowers cholesterol, and regulates blood sugar. High-fiber diets help you stay satiated longer than low-fiber diets. Therefore, fiber-rich foods make you less likely to overeat or binge eat later. Fiber also helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood by keeping it moving quickly through the digestive tract and may lower the risk of health problems like heart disease or stroke.
Unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are naturally high in fiber because they’re plant-based foods that are not altered from their natural state. In contrast, ultra-processed foods, such as chips or cookies, contain very little fiber. Manufacturers remove the fiber during processing and add ingredients like sugar, fat, salt, and other additives to make them taste better and give them a longer shelf life.
If a food has a long list of ingredients, it’s probably ultra-processed
If a food has a long list of ingredients, it’s likely to be ultra-processed. For example, a simple whole-grain bread recipe might have flour, water, yeast, and salt as its ingredients. In contrast, an ultra-processed white bread could contain over 20 ingredients, including bleached flour, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and various chemicals such as ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides. The ingredients in foods that aren’t ultra-processed usually contain names you recognize, and the list is short.
Ultra-processed food is harmful to your blood sugar and your waistline
Beyond containing more calories’, ultra-processed foods are high on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly blood sugar rises after you eat a particular food. When blood sugar rapidly increases, it triggers an outpouring of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin helps cells absorb blood glucose for energy. But too much insulin can cause cells to become resistant to its effects and lead to obesity and diabetes.
One study found that people who ate an ultra-processed diet ate more carbohydrates and consumed 500 more calories per day relative to those who ate an unprocessed diet. They also gained two pounds during the period they ate ultra-processed foods and lost 2 pounds when they switched to an unprocessed diet. If you eat ultra-processed foods, try to limit the quantity and balance them with the whole or minimally processed fare.
Conclusion
You are what you eat, and do you want to be a “fake food” full of additives? If you buy packaged foods, look for ones that are minimally processed, such as frozen vegetables with no added sauce or frozen fruit. Skip ultra-processed items so altered they are no longer whole foods. It’s one of the biggest favors you can do for your health.
References:
- gov. “NIH study finds heavily processed foods cause overeating and weight gain”
- Health.edu. “What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for our health?”
- Elizabeth L, Machado P, Zinöcker M, Baker P, Lawrence M. Ultra-Processed Foods and Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 30;12(7):1955. doi: 10.3390/nu12071955. PMID: 32630022; PMCID: PMC7399967.
- Costa CS, Rauber F, Leffa PS, Sangalli CN, Campagnolo PDB, Vitolo MR. Ultra-processed food consumption and its effects on anthropometric and glucose profile: A longitudinal study during childhood. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2019 Feb;29(2):177-184. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2018.11.003. Epub 2018 Nov 22. PMID: 30660687.
- “What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for our health?.” 09 Jan. 2020, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605.
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