To make their foods cheap and shelf-stable, manufacturers often turn to refined seed and vegetable oils that are hydrogenated, a process which turns them into trans fats.
These trans fats are extremely harmful to the body and can lead to a host of adverse effects on your health. Even processed oils that are not hydrogenated should be avoided. These oils contain excessive levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can increase inflammation and oxidation in the body.
More Nutrition Articles. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved. Go Premium. Need Help? Learn More Customer Login. By Jennifer Fox. They are loaded with sugar. They are stripped of fiber. They are altered to be addictive. They can cause mood swings. Cutting down on added sugar — by drinking sparkling water instead of soda, for example — is a quick and effective way to make the diet more healthful.
The ingredients list on the back of processed food packaging is often full of unrecognizable substances. Some are artificial chemicals that the manufacturer has added to make the food more palatable.
Also, processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that are not listed on their labels. Manufacturers do not have to disclose exactly what it means, and it is usually a combination of chemicals. Official organizations have tested most food additives for safety, though the use of these chemicals remains controversial among doctors and researchers. Carbohydrates are an essential component of any diet.
However, carbs from whole foods provide far greater health benefits than refined carbohydrates. The body breaks down refined, or simple, carbohydrates quickly, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. When these levels then drop, a person may experience food cravings and low energy. Because refined carbs cause frequent increases and decreases in blood sugar, consuming them is linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Healthful sources of carbohydrates include:. Ultra-processed foods are very low in essential nutrients, compared with whole or minimally processed foods. In some cases, manufacturers add synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost during processing. However, whole foods provide additional healthful compounds that ultra-processed foods do not. Fruits, vegetables, and grains, for example, contain healthful plant compounds with antioxidant , anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects.
These include flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and carotenoids. The best way to get the full range of essential nutrients is to eat whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods. Dietary fiber has a wide range of health benefits. Fiber can slow the absorption of carbohydrates and help people feel more satisfied with fewer calories. It also acts as a prebiotic , feeding the friendly bacteria in the gut, and can help boost heart health.
Healthful high fiber foods include:. Yet advice to limit processed foods can seem unhelpful, given how convenient they are and the growing array of products that fall into the category.
While three recent studies offer more clues on how our increasingly industrialized food supply may be affecting our health, they also underscore how difficult nutrition science and advice can be.
To more precisely identify the processed foods of most concern, scientists came up with a system that groups foods into four categories. Sodas, packaged cookies, instant noodles and chicken nuggets are some examples of highly processed foods. But also included are products that can seem wholesome, like breakfast cereals, energy bars and some yogurts. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found people ate an average of extra calories a day when fed mostly processed foods, compared with when the same people were fed minimally processed foods.
The 20 participants were allowed to eat as much or as little as they wanted, and were checked into a clinic so their health and behavior could be monitored. In another study based on questionnaires, researchers in France found people who ate more processed foods were more likely to have heart disease. Examples include B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, niacinamide, folate or folic acid , beta carotene, iron ferrous sulfate , vitamin C ascorbic acid , Vitamin D, or amino acids to boost protein content L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-methionine.
A look at some of the research examining different types of processed foods and their impact on health In , the World Health Organization categorized processed meats as cancer-causing to humans. The statement was made after 22 scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group evaluated more than studies on the topic.
The evidence on processed meats was strongest for colorectal cancer, followed by stomach cancer. An evaluation of the dietary intakes of 9, U. At the same time, intakes of fiber, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, D, and E decreased. Based on their findings, the researchers noted the importance of policies that limit the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet and promote consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods to improve global public health.
NHANES have also found that consumption of ultra-processed foods was directly associated with high all-cause mortality. Ten men and ten women were randomized to receive either an ultra-processed diet or unprocessed diet for 14 days, followed by 14 more days of the alternate diet. The diets were relatively equal in calories, sugar, fat, fiber, and other nutrients, and participants were allowed to eat as much or as little as they liked. The study found that participants ate about calories more on the ultra-processed diet and also gained weight about 2 pounds.
When the participants changed to the unprocessed diet, they ate fewer calories and lost the weight. According to appetite surveys, the diets did not differ in levels of hunger, fullness, and satisfaction, though participants tended to eat faster on the ultra-processed diet. Processed foods: contributions to nutrition. The American journal of clinical nutrition.
Monteiro CA. Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing. Public health nutrition. Public Health Nutrition. Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ open. Food and Drug Administration. Food Labeling Guide: Guidance for Industry.
January Foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns: interconnections and implications for dietary guidelines. Advances in Nutrition. Current obesity reports. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat.
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