They can be hard to banish as they’re found in so many foods, but one nutritionist has shared some savvy swaps to help remove them from your diet with a little more ease
New analysis has suggested thousands of deaths in the UK per year may be down to the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and experts behind the research think they may be a cause of early death.
UPFs have previously be linked to poor health and an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Foods high in UPFs contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives which if consumed regularly, can leave less room in people’s diets for more nutritious and beneficial foods.
Foods such as ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits and fizzy drinks are all in the firing line, but there are some easy swaps you can make in order to cut out the UPFs.
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UPFs also tend to include additives and ingredients that are not used when people cook from scratch, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours. Nutritionist and health writer Kristin Herman said when you cut back on ultra-processed foods, it isn’t about “being perfect.”
As UPFs are often loaded with salt, sugar and additives, something Kristin said “do nothing for our energy, mood or long-term health” and the more we can shift toward whole, simple foods – the better our bodies respond, according to the expert.
“You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. But even small swaps can make a real difference. It’s good to build habits that actually support your health and not just fill you up.” So firstly, the expert advised to start by ditching sugary cereals and go for plain oats or muesli instead.
“They’re full of fiber and way lower in sugar. Flavored yogurts might seem healthy but they’re packed with extras you don’t need. Plain Greek yogurt is a much better pick. It’s still creamy just without all the junk.”
For those who usually reach for sausages or ham, Kristin suggested to try some roast chicken or a couple of eggs as they are “way less processed and way better for you”. When it comes to snacks, the expert said to swap the crisps for a handful of nuts, seeds or some fruit instead.
For drinks, Kristin said to skip the fizzy drinks and try water with lemon or herbal tea instead. “You can also add strawberry, blueberry or other berries in the water for the taste. There are small changes but they really do add up.”
In the new study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, experts call on governments to issue dietary recommendations aimed at cutting consumption of UPFs. They looked at data from eight countries around the world and found UPFs reached 53% of people’s energy intake in the UK – the second highest in the study after 55% in the US.
Premature deaths attributable to UPFs ranged from 4% of premature deaths in lower consumption settings, such as Colombia, up to 14% of premature deaths in the UK and US, according to their mathematical modelling. The researchers suggested that in 2018/19, some 17,781 premature deaths in the UK could have been linked to UPFs, according to their model.
Lead investigator of the study Eduardo Nilson, from the scientific body the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, said: “UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of critical nutrients (sodium, trans fats, and sugar) because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients.”
These include colourants, artificial flavours and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids, so assessing deaths from all causes associated with UPF consumption allows an overall estimate of the effect of industrial food processing on health.
Dr Nilson said the study found “each 10% increase in the participation of UPFs in the diet increases the risk of death from all causes by 3%”.
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