Surely by now you are familiar with the meaning of the words "lifestyle modifications." In order to live a healthy life you should exercise, consider a plant-based diet, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake and maintain a safe and reasonable weight. But now there is another factor to consider as a lifestyle modification. You should try to avoid or limit your consumption of Ultra Processed Food/UPF.
In his very interesting book, "Ultra Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food," Chris van Tulleken states that a UPF is any food wrapped in plastic and which has at least one ingredient not found in your kitchen. The list includes such terms as modified starches, synthetic emulsifiers, hydrolyzed protein isolates, and stabilizing gums such as xanthum gum or guar gum.
Van Tulleken and several others conclude that these additives are harmful and most likely have negative effects on our health and longevity.
Unprocessed foods would basically be raw foods with intact vitamins, minerals and healthy calories. Minimally processed and also healthy foods include the use of cutting, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing or pasteurization. The addition of a few natural ingredients such as oil, water or salt helps to preserve foods such as fish, fruit or vegetables.
Ultra processed foods include the use of artificial colors and stabilizers such as carrageenan emulsifiers or maltodextrans. Some of these additives tend to soften the food, therefore rendering it easier to eat. However because of that fact the softer foods are often eaten faster and therefore you consume more of these calorie dense foods. They are calorie dense because of the sugar and fat content but are usually nutritionally deficient. The emulsifiers and preservatives change the population of our intestinal microflora into one that is suboptimal and possibly even one that is unhealthy.
Saccharin, first produced in 1879 as the first synthetic food additive, is at least 300 times more sweet than natural table sugar, sucrose. Researchers in a large study of 325,000 patients associate the popularity of UPF consumption with the rise in health issues such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and even early death.
Van Tulleken states that for some UPF products tend to be addictive, and are designed be over consumed. Their price is usually convenient and therefore you tend to eat more. He states that since 1950, UPFs make up at least 60% of what people in the U.K. and U.S. eat. It is nearly impossible to completely eliminate these products from your diet but at least start reading labels.
Chris van Tulleken started research on UPFs because he noticed that his daughters favorite ice cream in cone form did not seem to melt a lot slower than normal. He later attributed this fact to the artificial stabilizers present in the cone. Some of the mysterious ingredients listed on the package of a favorite ice cream brand were called bioengineered food ingredient, guar gum, carob bean gum, tara gum and corn syrup.
Thanks to my friend and neighbor Dennis for familiarizing me with the van Tulleken book. It can be found in our local library. Limit your consumption of UPFs when possible – it is not an easy thing to do.
