Ultraprocessed food and increased mortality risk?

Makes sense. Why would anyone a diet high in anything "ultraprocessed" would imply better health? This almost seems a no-brainer.

I think in general, if you are eating a diet high in ultraprocessed food, you are probably eating a diet high in sodium, sugar, trans fat, and sat fat, and low in protein, fiber, and unsat fat. Also probably calorie dense and nutrient poor. So that would again probably lead to obesity, along with other lifestyle diseases. And there is probably a correlation between people who eat lots of "snacky" convenience foods and not being active.

Note all the probably's So I think the correlation makes sense.

Having said that, I think it's certainly possible to fit some ultraprocessed foods into a healthy diet, and I think if someone were hyper-aware they could find some ultraprocessed foods that have reasonable macro and micro profiles.

try2again wrote: »

I'll also link an interesting post from @Aaron_K123

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10652594/the-issue-with-processed-foods-opinion/p1

Question: what's the difference between processed and ultraprocessed?

From the article...

Exposures The ultraprocessed foods group (from the NOVA food classification system), characterized as ready-to-eat or -heat formulations made mostly from ingredients usually combined with additives.

So I would think ultra-processed would be frozen, ready to eat meals, Mac 'n cheese in a box, frozen pizzas...pretty much anything in the freezer section that you can just heat up real quick, fast food, etc. Whereas things like milk, cheese, canned beans, tuna, etc are processed, but not to such an extent.

I think the correlation makes sense. Such a diet would be lacking nutritionally and someone eating such a diet would not likely be doing anything much for their health like regular exercise and probably would have other unhealthy habits that are engaged in routinely.

Phirrgus wrote: »

CSARdiver wrote: »

I'm very suspect of such studies utilizing popular nebulous terms.

I'm sure there are multiple correlative factors, but no meaningful causative factor.

Terribly unhelpful as this furthers the body of misinformation distracting the public to the fact that weight gain is solely due to caloric surplus.

The study doesn't seem to be focusing on obesity though. I'm sure it's a factor (mortality rates) but not the sole focus unless I misunderstood it?

I think that's the point though. Unless you are looking at young adults (and probably even for them), most folks eating a diet high in ultraprocessed food will be eating too many cals for their activity level and will be, if not obese, then overweight. Which immediately increases their mortality risk. So people will read the study overview and say "Aha! Processed food will kill you!" rather than "Aha! Eating mostly processed foods means you have to eat too many calories to feel satisfied which makes you obese! I should make sure I moderate those foods with more nutrient dense whole foods so I can maintain a healthy weight and reduce my mortality risk!"

While I agree that there is not a terribly large amount of room for ultra-processed foods in a nutrient-dense, healthy diet, my hackles just rise when I see things like "ice cream" and "burgers" wrapped in there. When I make ice cream, it is cream, milk, sugar, salt and egg yolks, plus whatever fruit is growing in my yard--strawberries, blackberries, peaches, rhubarb. Burgers are just ground beef, eggs, maybe some breadcrumbs, and spices.

One of the problems is the 'ultra-processing" of the research into the media that is actually consumed by most Americans. This pablum is as bad for your mind as blocks of Velveeta are for your body.* So you get people saying that ALL pizza, ice cream, burgers, fries, cookies, etc. are OF THE DEVIL!!!**, when the researchers are just pointing out the hyperpalatable goods that have been pumped full of additives and stripped of many nutrients and fiber, not the fries etc. that you make at home just by, you know, slicing potatoes and crisping them in some olive oil.

The heartandhealth article linked above completely misrepresents what NOVA is actually saying, although they do provide the reader the courtesy of linking to the NOVA information.

Below is the full NOVA definition of ultra-processed food; bolding is mine.

"The fourth NOVA group is of ultra-processed food and drink products. These are industrial
formulations typically with five or more and usually many ingredients. Such ingredients often
include those also used in processed foods, such as sugar, oils, fats, salt, anti-oxidants,
stabilisers, and preservatives. Ingredients only found in ultra-processed products include
substances not commonly used in culinary preparations, and additives whose purpose is to
imitate sensory qualities of group 1 foods or of culinary preparations of these foods, or to
disguise undesirable sensory qualities of the final product. Group 1 foods are a small
proportion of or are even absent from ultra-processed products.

Substances only found in ultra-processed products include some directly extracted from
foods, such as casein, lactose, whey, and gluten, and some derived from further processing
of food constituents, such as hydrogenated or interesterified oils, hydrolysed proteins, soy
protein isolate, maltodextrin, invert sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Classes of additive
only found in ultra-processed products include dyes and other colours, colour stabilisers,
flavours, flavour enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners, and processing aids such as
carbonating, firming, bulking and anti-bulking, de-foaming, anti-caking and glazing agents,
emulsifiers, sequestrants and humectants.
Several industrial processes with no domestic equivalents are used in the manufacture of
ultra-processed products, such as extrusion and moulding, and pre-processing for frying.
The main purpose of industrial ultra-processing is to create products that are ready to eat, to
drink or to heat, liable to replace both unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are
naturally ready to consume, such as fruits and nuts, milk and water, and freshly prepared
drinks, dishes, desserts and meals. Common attributes of ultra-processed products are
hyper-palatability, sophisticated and attractive packaging, multi-media and other aggressive
marketing to children and adolescents, health claims, high profitability, and branding and
ownership by transnational corporations.
Examples of typical ultra-processed products are: carbonated drinks; sweet or savoury
packaged snacks; ice-cream, chocolate, candies (confectionery); mass-produced packaged
breads and buns; margarines and spreads; cookies (biscuits), pastries, cakes, and cake
mixes; breakfast ‘cereals’, ‘cereal’ and ‘energy’ bars; ‘energy’ drinks; milk drinks, ‘fruit’
yoghurts and ‘fruit’ drinks; cocoa drinks; meat and chicken extracts and ‘instant’ sauces;
infant formulas, follow-on milks, other baby products; ‘health’ and ‘slimming’ products such
as powdered or ‘fortified’ meal and dish substitutes; and many ready to heat products
including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes; poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ and
‘sticks’, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, and powdered
and packaged ‘instant’ soups, noodles and desserts.
When products made solely of group 1 or group 3 foods also contain cosmetic or sensory
intensifying additives, such as plain yoghurt with added artificial sweeteners, and breads
with added emulsifiers, they are classified here in group 4. When alcoholic drinks are
identified as foods, those produced by fermentation of group 1 foods followed by distillation
of the resulting alcohol, such as whisky, gin, rum, vodka, are classified in group 4."


*Pasturized Process Cheese Products DO have their uses, however, including gettin' in my belly on a legit Philly Cheesesteak: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-processed-cheese

**I would like to point out one food that is, indeed, of the devil. This would be Biscoff Cookie Butter. Preferably slathered onto actual Biscoff cookies. SATAN. INCARNATE. (And delicious!)