A few weeks ago, I took a New York Times quiz on ultraprocessed foods, sure I could identify them and complete the quiz with flying colors. I didn’t flunk, but my score was equivalent to a D+, which was unsettling. To live longer, we should avoid ultraprocessed foods.
To help recall which answers I got wrong, I just retook the New York Times quiz; and, I got a similar score! I suppose I am struggling to accept the fact that seltzer water with “natural flavors” is an ultraprocessed food. Bottom line, once a food has natural flavors or artificial sweeteners it is ultraprocessed.
Similarly, plant milks with artificial sweeteners or emulsifiers are ultraprocessed. I also did not appreciate that there are some frozen foods that do not have additives and are not ultraprocessed.
What’s the trick to knowing whether something is ultraprocessed? If it contains ingredients that you don’t have in your kitchen.
What’s the nutritional value of ultraprocessed foods? Little. They tend to have extra sugars or salt or contain saturated fats and transfats. They can have additives and usually do not have fiber.
Why avoid ultraprocessed foods? Avoiding ultraprocessed foods reduces your risk of an early death, according to a new study published in the BMJ, reports Lauren Irwin for The Hill. The study, which took place over 32 years, looked at what 115,000 ate. Avoiding ultraprocessed foods also reduces your risk of heart disease and depression. In the study, people with different diets had different life expectancies.
How much more likely is it you’ll die as a result of consuming ultraprocessed foods? The study found that people who ate the most ultraprocessed food had a four percent higher risk of dying.
What are the ultraprocessed foods with strong links to greater risk of death? Consuming “ready to eat” meats and fish were tightly linked to death. Breakfast cereals, soda and ice cream also posed greater risk. Foods that have fiber, vitamins and minerals have a lower risk of death.
Some good news: At least some experts believe that having a healthy diet should override the negative consequences of eating ultraprocessed foods.
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