4 ms·

> and comparably healthy Every plant-based meat I'm aware of has been processed to hell and back, so I'm dubious of the claims that they are healthier.

bluntfang 6y ago
Lucky for you GP said they were comparable, not healthier!
sosborn 6y ago
What inherent trait of "processing" makes a food unhealthy?
- fpgaminer 6y ago
  I was also dubious of the claim that "processed" foods are less healthy, but there does seem to be some evidence to support the claim at least along one vector: > Processing may affect the natural resistant starch content of foods. [...] Whole grain wheat may contain as high as 14% resistant starch, while milled wheat flour may contain only 2%. > The fermentation of resistant starch produces more butyrate than other types of dietary fibers. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch#Processing_effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch#Processing_ef... > Butyrates are important as food for cells lining the mammalian colon (colonocytes). [...] Butyrate is extremely essential to host immune homeostasis. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyrate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyrate Basically, resistant starch is extremely important to the health of your colon, and fairly important to your health in general. From what I hear, colon cancer is not terribly fun. Since processing greatly reduces the resistant starch content of certain goods it seems reasonable to claim that "processing" makes some foods less healthy. Though like all things there is a lot of subtly here; I wouldn't be surprised if plant based burgers end up healthier on the whole despite the processing when compared to regular meat. But they are unlikely to be healthier than the equivalent in unprocessed veggies.
  - whimsicalism 6y ago
    > Basically, resistant starch is extremely important to the health of your colon, and fairly important to your health in general. So if you eat exclusively processed grains, you don't have the resistant starch. Meanwhile, red meat is linked with actually causing colon cancer, not just failure to prevent it.
- sukilot 6y ago
  In a nation where most people have an extreme caloric surplus, "processing", aka "cooking" increases the caloric intake of diners. Processing usually removes fiber also.
- 3131s 6y ago
  A lot of processing does entail removing fiber and other nutritional content. That's why I just eat normal vegetables, not lab atrocities created at McDonald's.
JoeAltmaier 6y ago
Get ready for the future. A Finnish company can make protein from air and electricity now. Once they figure out carbohydrates, oils, sugar, starch, we may give up growing food corn entirely.
- ben_w 6y ago
  Oils and the carbs are the easy ones to make. Do you have a link or the name of the company?
  - philipkglass 6y ago
    The company is Solar Foods: https://solarfoods.fi/ https://solarfoods.fi/ It's an approach to growing single cell protein (e.g. products like Quorn) that uses hydrogen oxidizing bacteria with hydrogen from renewable-powered water electrolysis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-cell_protein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-cell_protein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_oxidizing_bacteria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_oxidizing_bacteria I have more detailed links in this old comment of mine from when Solar Foods appeared on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18355483 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18355483
    - rangoon626 6y ago
      Soap

bluntfang 6y ago

Lucky for you GP said they were comparable, not healthier!

sosborn 6y ago

What inherent trait of "processing" makes a food unhealthy?

fpgaminer 6y ago
I was also dubious of the claim that "processed" foods are less healthy, but there does seem to be some evidence to support the claim at least along one vector: > Processing may affect the natural resistant starch content of foods. [...] Whole grain wheat may contain as high as 14% resistant starch, while milled wheat flour may contain only 2%. > The fermentation of resistant starch produces more butyrate than other types of dietary fibers. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch#Processing_effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch#Processing_ef... > Butyrates are important as food for cells lining the mammalian colon (colonocytes). [...] Butyrate is extremely essential to host immune homeostasis. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyrate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyrate Basically, resistant starch is extremely important to the health of your colon, and fairly important to your health in general. From what I hear, colon cancer is not terribly fun. Since processing greatly reduces the resistant starch content of certain goods it seems reasonable to claim that "processing" makes some foods less healthy. Though like all things there is a lot of subtly here; I wouldn't be surprised if plant based burgers end up healthier on the whole despite the processing when compared to regular meat. But they are unlikely to be healthier than the equivalent in unprocessed veggies.
- whimsicalism 6y ago
  > Basically, resistant starch is extremely important to the health of your colon, and fairly important to your health in general. So if you eat exclusively processed grains, you don't have the resistant starch. Meanwhile, red meat is linked with actually causing colon cancer, not just failure to prevent it.
sukilot 6y ago
In a nation where most people have an extreme caloric surplus, "processing", aka "cooking" increases the caloric intake of diners. Processing usually removes fiber also.
3131s 6y ago
A lot of processing does entail removing fiber and other nutritional content. That's why I just eat normal vegetables, not lab atrocities created at McDonald's.

JoeAltmaier 6y ago

Get ready for the future. A Finnish company can make protein from air and electricity now. Once they figure out carbohydrates, oils, sugar, starch, we may give up growing food corn entirely.

ben_w 6y ago
Oils and the carbs are the easy ones to make. Do you have a link or the name of the company?
- philipkglass 6y ago
  The company is Solar Foods: https://solarfoods.fi/ https://solarfoods.fi/ It's an approach to growing single cell protein (e.g. products like Quorn) that uses hydrogen oxidizing bacteria with hydrogen from renewable-powered water electrolysis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-cell_protein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-cell_protein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_oxidizing_bacteria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_oxidizing_bacteria I have more detailed links in this old comment of mine from when Solar Foods appeared on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18355483 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18355483
  - rangoon626 6y ago
    Soap