The word “processed” has become the proverbial boogeyman in conversations about food, nutrition, and health for years, but since the earliest civilizations, people have processed foods, producing cheese, olive oil, wine, and more. However, with increased industrialization, the factory approach began to be applied to food and food preparation. This transition led to the creation of a new kind of food, eventually be dubbed “ultra-processed food.”
Cheap, calorie-dense, and tasty, these foods have become staples in American pantries. However, as they rose in popularity, physicians and researchers became increasingly concerned about the long-term effects on consumers’ health.
While research is still ongoing, the data collected so far indicate that diets heavy in ultra-processed foods (like the typical American diet) can have highly detrimental effects on overall health and well-being.
Processed vs. Ultra-Processed
While “processed” has become a catch-all phrase when discussing food, the definition actually contains quite a bit more nuance. The NOVA Food Classification, developed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition in Brazil in 2009, categorizes foods into unprocessed, minimally processed, and ultra-processed.
Unprocessed food is food in its natural state, such as raw vegetables and fruits, brown rice, and raw meats. It is simply food that has had nothing done to it.
Processed is simply food that has had something done to it, including cooking and preservation methods such as pickling and canning. For example, the difference between unprocessed food and processed food is the difference between eating raw carrots and broccoli and a vegetable stir-fry. The vegetables have been changed while retaining their nutritional value.
In contrast, ultra-processed, the “Frankenstein’s monster” of the food world, is food so fundamentally altered that it is unrecognizable from its original form. Due to the added sodium, sweeteners, fats, hydrogenated oils, and other additives and preservatives, these foods tend to be shelf-stable and consistently tasty. Both factors make them highly appealing to children and busy adults.
Unfortunately, this definition encompasses the most popular food consumed by Americans. This category includes most packaged snacks, breakfast cereals, soda, energy drinks, and even protein and granola bars. Even foods labeled “low calorie” or “reduced fat” often utilize the same artificial preservatives and sweeteners as many other ultra-processed foods, giving the illusion of health while dubious of actual nutrition.
The detrimental effects of ultra-processed foods are becoming a growing cause for concern, and research is ongoing on their full effect.
The Effects of Ultra-Processed Food: Non-Communicable Diseases
Researchers have become increasingly concerned with the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular and heart disease, fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes, including children and adolescents.
Ultra-processed foods have been shown to be a key contributor to the rising rates of obesity in children and adults, which is associated with many NCDs. One study published by the National Library of Medicine noted that patients with diets higher in ultra-processed foods were at a much higher risk of developing comorbidities of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, reducing the favorability of their prognosis.
As one analysis noted, the high sugar content of many ultra-processed foods is associated with a high addictive potential and subsequent increased tolerance and dependence. Sugar, along with salt, fat, and caffeine, is classified as a “hedonic” substance, a substance pursued not just for the taste but for the pleasurable feeling it evokes, of which ultra-processed food is abundant. All of these elements, particularly sugar, have become ubiquitous in the American diet. Because of the hedonic cues provided by these elements and the fundamental lack of nutrition, people find it easy to consistently and frequently over-consume this kind of food. Unfortunately, these eating patterns increases their chances of developing an NCD or multimorbidity like obesity.
The Effects of Ultra-Processed Food: The Gut Microbiome
Another area where ultra-processed foods are negatively affecting health is in the gut microbiome. Studies of the gut microbiome have revealed its importance to almost every facet of human health, including mental health through the “gut-brain axis”.
Research on the effects of ultra-processed foods on the gut microbiome have shown that regular consumption not only damages beneficial bacteria and reduces overall microbial diversity but also promotes the growth of harmful bacterial groups, leading to low-grade systemic inflammation. These changes in the microbiome can also lead to increased intestinal permeability, dubbed “leaky gut,” allowing inflammation to become systemic and leading to issues such as inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic abnormalities.
Because of the “gut-brain axis,” the regular consumption of ultra-processed foods can also have consequences for mental health. A person with a diet heavy in ultra-processed foods has a greater risk for both anxiety and depressive symptoms. For example, in a meta-analysis in the National Library of Medicine, researchers have contended that artificial flavorings and sweeteners like aspartame, found in “diet” and “sugar-free” drinks, and MSG can contribute to the dysregulation of mood transmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can contribute to mood disorders.
While the research is more limited in this area, there is also evidence to suggest that diets heavy in ultra-processed foods contribute to cognitive decline, including the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Next Steps
Many people are attracted to ultra-processed food due to its taste and accessibility. However, the growing body of evidence indicates these same quick and cheap foods have deleterious health effects.
A diet consisting of whole grains, lean meats, and fresh produce has been demonstrated to provide the highest nutritional benefit. Additionally, incorporating fermented foods and foods high in fiber can support the essential healthy bacteria in the gut microbiome.
Some people are daunted by the high costs that eating a diet more centered on whole and minimally processed foods could entail. However, options like nuts, frozen vegetables and fruits, meats such as canned chicken, tuna, and sardines, and dried and canned beans provide great sources of nutrition while being relatively easy on the budget.
Final Thoughts
The widespread use and consumption of ultra-processed foods is a fairly recent phenomenon, meaning that research is still ongoing on the long-term effects these items have on human health. However, the data that we have now strongly indicates that the regular consumption of ultra-processed foods has devastating effects on both physical and mental well-being.
While healthy eating may seem complicated and daunting, focusing meals around minimally processed and whole foods is an effective approach to achieving a healthy diet.
In the modern day, avoiding all ultra-processed foods is practically impossible. However, being informed about ultra-processed foods and their effects on human health empowers people to make the informed decisions necessary for themselves and their loved ones.