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Ultra-processed doesn't automatically mean unhealthy. It's what it's made of and how it's processed, and the quantities you ingest that can make it unhealthy, j

Ultra-processed doesn't automatically mean unhealthy. It's what it's made of and how it's processed, and the quantities you ingest that can make it unhealthy, just like some unprocessed foods can still be unhealthy depending on what they are. Whole grain cereal with low sugar contents fall under ultra-processed, and it could still be more nutritious and less sugary than freshly squeezed OJ.

vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
It doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy but in reality there is a very strong correlation between food being processed and having too much sugar, salt , fat or other stuff. A lot of these foods are designed for addictiveness .
- lemoncookiechip 1y ago
  It depends on the classification system, but yes, whole grain cereal with added sugar and preservatives for shelf-life is often classified as ultra-processed. That said, I think framing all UPFs or processed foods as "bad" misses the point. What really matters is the nutritional value of the food itself. A food being ultra-processed doesn’t automatically make it less healthy than a minimally processed one. We should focus more on what’s actually in the food: the sugar content, fiber, protein, fat, micro-nutrients, rather than just whether it’s been processed or not. TLDR: It's the label telling what is in the food that matters, not the processes it underwent, although that can be VERY helpful for certain people who value how their food is made for moral/ethical/health reasons.
  - vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
    "That said, I think framing all UPFs or processed foods as "bad" misses the point. What really matters is the nutritional value of the food itself. A food being ultra-processed doesn’t automatically make it less healthy than a minimally processed one." Figuring out which ultra processed foods are ok and which ones aren't is very difficult and can be manipulated. I think it's much easier to avoid that stuff and cook from scratch.
fundad 1y ago
This podcast had an excellent discussion of how “ultraprocessed” means whatever authors want. It seems like people who pay for expensive maple syrup, oils, tallow and butter are put on some pedestal and everyone else lives under the cloud of “ultra” something. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/17271368 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/17271368
- Milpotel 1y ago
  I'd recommend "Ultra processed people" be van Tulleken. He references the relevant studies, doesn't try to convince you to change your diet but gives enough food for thought. ;)
  - arccy 1y ago
    but that food for thought has been processed by others already...
- atombender 1y ago
  I've not listened to the podcast, but please note that processed/ultraprocessed have formal definitions that are followed by many studies. These are the NOVA classifications, where processed and ultraprocessed are groups 3-4 respectively. These definitions have evolved over time [1], which means that it can be confusing to read different studies, when the formal definitions have changed after publication. So the best thing is to ignore the "ultraprocessed" category as a general term and instead read what the methodology was in any given study. What researchers mostly don't do is lump all sorts of things into an undefined bucket of whatever processes and ingredients they think are unhealthy that day. This is what pop-sci media does, and may be what the podcast is railing does. But studies on ultraprocessed foods tend not to do this. [1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6389637/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6389637/
simmerup 1y ago
Whole grain cereal with sugar would be classed as 'processed' food as I understand it. Examples of processed food: > Canned or bottled vegetables and legumes in brine; salted or sugared nuts and seeds; salted, dried, cured, or smoked meats and fish; canned fish (with or without added preservatives); fruit in syrup (with or without added anti-oxidants); freshly made unpackaged breads and cheeses. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5277b379-0acb-4d97-a6a3-602774104629/content https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/527...
- aitchnyu 1y ago
  IME "Processed" in popular usage means "ultraprocessed" so the "your bread is processed haha" people are muddying the waters.

vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago

It doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy but in reality there is a very strong correlation between food being processed and having too much sugar, salt , fat or other stuff. A lot of these foods are designed for addictiveness .

lemoncookiechip 1y ago
It depends on the classification system, but yes, whole grain cereal with added sugar and preservatives for shelf-life is often classified as ultra-processed. That said, I think framing all UPFs or processed foods as "bad" misses the point. What really matters is the nutritional value of the food itself. A food being ultra-processed doesn’t automatically make it less healthy than a minimally processed one. We should focus more on what’s actually in the food: the sugar content, fiber, protein, fat, micro-nutrients, rather than just whether it’s been processed or not. TLDR: It's the label telling what is in the food that matters, not the processes it underwent, although that can be VERY helpful for certain people who value how their food is made for moral/ethical/health reasons.
- vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
  "That said, I think framing all UPFs or processed foods as "bad" misses the point. What really matters is the nutritional value of the food itself. A food being ultra-processed doesn’t automatically make it less healthy than a minimally processed one." Figuring out which ultra processed foods are ok and which ones aren't is very difficult and can be manipulated. I think it's much easier to avoid that stuff and cook from scratch.

fundad 1y ago

This podcast had an excellent discussion of how “ultraprocessed” means whatever authors want. It seems like people who pay for expensive maple syrup, oils, tallow and butter are put on some pedestal and everyone else lives under the cloud of “ultra” something. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/17271368 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1411126/episodes/17271368

Milpotel 1y ago
I'd recommend "Ultra processed people" be van Tulleken. He references the relevant studies, doesn't try to convince you to change your diet but gives enough food for thought. ;)
- arccy 1y ago
  but that food for thought has been processed by others already...
atombender 1y ago
I've not listened to the podcast, but please note that processed/ultraprocessed have formal definitions that are followed by many studies. These are the NOVA classifications, where processed and ultraprocessed are groups 3-4 respectively. These definitions have evolved over time [1], which means that it can be confusing to read different studies, when the formal definitions have changed after publication. So the best thing is to ignore the "ultraprocessed" category as a general term and instead read what the methodology was in any given study. What researchers mostly don't do is lump all sorts of things into an undefined bucket of whatever processes and ingredients they think are unhealthy that day. This is what pop-sci media does, and may be what the podcast is railing does. But studies on ultraprocessed foods tend not to do this. [1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6389637/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6389637/

simmerup 1y ago

Whole grain cereal with sugar would be classed as 'processed' food as I understand it. Examples of processed food: > Canned or bottled vegetables and legumes in brine; salted or sugared nuts and seeds; salted, dried, cured, or smoked meats and fish; canned fish (with or without added preservatives); fruit in syrup (with or without added anti-oxidants); freshly made unpackaged breads and cheeses. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5277b379-0acb-4d97-a6a3-602774104629/content https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/527...

aitchnyu 1y ago
IME "Processed" in popular usage means "ultraprocessed" so the "your bread is processed haha" people are muddying the waters.