4 ms·

The Trouble with America's Ultra-Processed Diet

9 points by thm 3y ago

damnesian 3y ago
paywall...
cypherg 3y ago
step 0, define what "ultra-processed" means. Is it the number of ingredients? An industrial technique? Specific amounts of certain ingredients? When you fail to even define what "ultra-processed" does and does not mean you're just adding confusion and misinformation.
- fatnoah 3y ago
  I draw the line at "mega-processed" foods.
- snakeyjake 3y ago
  >Some foods are highly processed or ultra-processed. They most likely have many added ingredients such as sugar, salt, fat, and artificial colors or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed... Simpler than that, generally speaking if you can look at the thing you are ingesting and identify what it was in nature it is likely unprocessed or minimally processed. Corn on the cob is unprocessed. Canned corn or corn meal is minimally processed. High fructose corn syrup (and any substance containing it) is ultra-processed. Even simpler than that, if what you are eating comes out of a machine that looks like this: https://www.starchprojectsolution.com/uploads/1805/2-1P505161FHV.jpg https://www.starchprojectsolution.com/uploads/1805/2-1P50516... it is almost certainly bad for you.
- goodkittie396 3y ago
  Ultra processed food… never goes bad, and bugs don’t eat it.
SquibblesRedux 3y ago
I sometimes wonder, do pets have a lower quality of life because pet food is ultra-processed? That does not seem to be the case with pets I have had. And is there is a difference between pet food and ultra-processed food for humans? Is it that pet food is nutritionally complete, whereas human food often is not?
- goodkittie396 3y ago
  this is an important question! I wonder if the processes food causes pet obesity and pet cancer? It is hard to find information, but as far as I know one difference is “made in USA”, “feed grade” and “human grade” food.
- thrway63245 3y ago
  [dead]

9 points by thm 3y ago

paywall...

step 0, define what "ultra-processed" means. Is it the number of ingredients? An industrial technique? Specific amounts of certain ingredients? When you fail to even define what "ultra-processed" does and does not mean you're just adding confusion and misinformation.

fatnoah 3y ago
I draw the line at "mega-processed" foods.
snakeyjake 3y ago
>Some foods are highly processed or ultra-processed. They most likely have many added ingredients such as sugar, salt, fat, and artificial colors or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed... Simpler than that, generally speaking if you can look at the thing you are ingesting and identify what it was in nature it is likely unprocessed or minimally processed. Corn on the cob is unprocessed. Canned corn or corn meal is minimally processed. High fructose corn syrup (and any substance containing it) is ultra-processed. Even simpler than that, if what you are eating comes out of a machine that looks like this: https://www.starchprojectsolution.com/uploads/1805/2-1P505161FHV.jpg https://www.starchprojectsolution.com/uploads/1805/2-1P50516... it is almost certainly bad for you.
goodkittie396 3y ago
Ultra processed food… never goes bad, and bugs don’t eat it.

SquibblesRedux 3y ago

I sometimes wonder, do pets have a lower quality of life because pet food is ultra-processed? That does not seem to be the case with pets I have had. And is there is a difference between pet food and ultra-processed food for humans? Is it that pet food is nutritionally complete, whereas human food often is not?

goodkittie396 3y ago
this is an important question! I wonder if the processes food causes pet obesity and pet cancer? It is hard to find information, but as far as I know one difference is “made in USA”, “feed grade” and “human grade” food.
thrway63245 3y ago
[dead]