Report says we must avoid processed foods

[andyswarbs]

In the telegraph today is an article reporting on research that modern fare is slowly killing us because much of it is ultra-processed foods. The research followed around 45,000 French people aged around 57 and looked at their mortality outcomes. It talks of ultra-processed foods being around 29% of their diet! Examples include mass-produced and packaged snacks, sugary drinks, breads, confectioneries, ready-made meals and processed meats.

telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/0...

As someone who has had more than his share of ready-made pizza in the past I hold my hands up - I got it wrong. But, quoting the author of the research, "Ultra-processed foods contain multiple ingredients. They are usually ready to heat and eat, affordable, and hyper-palatable." It is a great shame these items don't also add a health warning on them such as "regular consumption may cause cancer!"

[grace111]

i thought i was being good to myself eating those ready meals. thank god i found out about prosessed foods and believed it.

[Hidden]

""High consumption"" of ""ultra processed"" foods could increase risk of mortality is the way I read it.

No worries whatsoever if you eat in moderation.

[benwl in reply to Hidden]

But the suggestion is that the nature of these foods acts to make moderate consumption unlikely.

From

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

"When consumed in small amounts and with other healthy sources of calories, ultra‐processed products are harmless; however, intense palatability (achieved by high content of fat, sugar, salt, and cosmetic and other additives), omnipresence, and sophisticated and aggressive marketing strategies (such as reduced price for super‐size servings), all make modest consumption of ultra‐processed products unlikely and displacement of fresh or minimally processed foods very likely."

[Hidden in reply to benwl]

Granted, I never thought of the unlikely.

I was looking at my own consumption.

And I read somewhere that this study has yet to been confirmed.

Jumping the gun a bit.

But I have been reading up on what is called altra processed and I don't see what's bad about a pizza or bacon sandwich or hamburger.

[JerMan22 in reply to benwl]

I was just thinking that nobody could take issue with telling people about the risks of eating ultra-processed foods. With poor health being such a huge problem, making light of such advice seemed unwise and therefore unlikely. But, bacon sandwich.

[Hidden in reply to JerMan22]

So what's the problem with a bacon sandwich?

What about a sausage or ham sandwich, what's the problem with that too please?

What about a hamburger?

Are ready to eat meals like a chicken curry really going to give you cancer?

Come on mate.. who's kidding who.

Enjoy your life, be happy and don't worry on people who like bacon sandwichs.

[JerMan22 in reply to Hidden]

"Are ready to eat meals like a chicken curry really going to give you cancer?"

No, they certainly, positively won't give ME cancer!

[Hidden in reply to JerMan22]

So what's the problem with a bacon sandwich?

What about a sausage or ham sandwich, what's the problem with that?

If you got the time am happy to talk through anything that you say is harmful to eat.

I don't have a course to follow or a banner to wave.

Am just someone who enjoys life.

If you don't want to eat chicken. That's up to you.

[grace111 in reply to JerMan22]

thats why im glad i believed it and acted upon it.

[Cooper27 Administrator]

We've gradually been realising it. Although I'm always confused about where the line is - are coconut milk, tomato puree, Passata, tofu, mince, dried fruit (with preservatives), etc, all considered processed?

[benwl in reply to Cooper27]

Thats maybe why they came up with the term 'ultra processed', to distinguish say tinned tomatoes or frozen peas, from industrial pizza.

I found a nice summary on wikipedia (with usual caveat about accuracy)

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ult...

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to benwl]

It's that most of these foods technically would tick the box of ultra-high processed foods,in it's strictest sense. Coconut milk tends to have things to prevent it separating, dried fruit contains preservatives, as do some tomato purees and most passatas. Cartons of nut milks would definitely seem to come under the ultra-high processed umbrella.

[andyswarbs in reply to Cooper27]

I include dairy in ultra processing,wjich I guess is why some people like the concert of raw milk.

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

That's why its ultra tasty.

[benwl in reply to Cooper27]

As I understand it, just adding a preservative in itself doesn't constitute ultra processing (otherwise theres no difference between just "processing" and "ultra processing") it's when entire food is made from ingredients that have themselves been processed from whole foods that we can call them ultra.

A nut milk is an interesting case, since it's definitely extracted by processing from a whole food - as in indeed are most of all oils. But I have a feeling that neither of these would really count as they are just single ingredients.

It's when someone makes a pizza by mixing refined oils, refined sugar, refined grain, refined cheese etc that we call the resulting pizza ultra processed.

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to benwl]

Thanks, that helps

[Penel in reply to benwl]

But do the additives in most nut milks turn them into a highly processed product?

[andyswarbs in reply to Penel]

No one has to consume nut or dairy milk if they don't want to. As a WFPB person I consume neither.

[Penel in reply to andyswarbs]

I also do not consume either and I am not a WFPB person.

[benwl in reply to Penel]

I think so.

According to the NOVA classification system (which is where the term ultra-processed originates)

archive.wphna.org/wp-conten...

the addition of "cosmetic or sensory

intensifying additives" is enough to put something into the ultra category - and soy milk according to that guardian article Andy posted has to have sweeteners added to make it taste palatable. Some oat milks might be ok.

[Penel]

The amount of ultra processed foods consumed across Europe is increasing. It’s made to be highly palatable and addictive with the combination of salt, sugar and fat. The emulsifiers found in lots of these foods have also been shown to cause gut damage.

This map of ultra processed food consumption in Europe is from last year. The U.K. is among the highest, France consumes far less.

theguardian.com/science/201...

[Zest]

Hi Andy,

I shall look forward to reading this report. Regarding coconut milk, I've started to make my own version for soups and sauces - where I use milk and grate some creamed coconut into it, and I find that is working quite well.

Zest

[Agoodenough in reply to Zest]

That’s interesting as I always have a block of creamed coconut and think the tinned milk is over priced, so I’m going to try grating the block of coconut into plant milk 👍🙂 Ali

[Zest in reply to Agoodenough]

Great! I hope you will like it. It works out cheaper too - as the Creamed coconut lasts quite a long time. I don't use that much though. Gives a subtle and delicious flavour.

Zest

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to Zest]

You can buy frozen coconut milk from Tesco as well - it's got no preservatives in it. I think it works out about half the price of a can

[Zest in reply to Cooper27]

Hi Cooper27

That sounds interesting, thanks.

Zest

[Veeee]

Has anyone read the 4 Pillars of Health?

Dr Chatterjee is recommending foods with 5 or less ingredients and eating the rainbow.

[andyswarbs in reply to Veeee]

I'm checking him out. Sounds promising... I've got his a-z wallchart of foods. Some surprising omissions such as bread. Also surprising he includes cashews. That's just off the cuff. Always interesting to see differences of emphasis..

[Penel in reply to andyswarbs]

Mass produced bread is a highly processed food.

[Veeee]

Very true Andy. Please can you share his chart?

He definitely isn't totality plant based .

[grace111 in reply to Veeee]

healthunlocked.com/healthye...

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to grace111]

I don't know if that's the same as the A-Z wall chart?

[pcspetpro]

If one wants to improve their health and wellbeing, it's not that hard. Step one: Reduce the amount of processed food and increase the amount of 'real food' (food without a label and not produced by a food corporation). Step 2: Increase the percentage until you are eating over 90% real food. Step 3: Modify the macro percentage to align with your unique genetic make up and energy requirements. There are more steps but this is the direction to improve your health, weight, energy level and vitality. If you already feel 'fantastic' then keep doing what your doing.

[andyswarbs in reply to pcspetpro]

Interested you mention genes. You know that the foods you eat can switch relevant genes off and others on. For example no one wants the genes for dimentia switched on.

[rachelleigh73 in reply to andyswarbs]

Hi Andy - is there any further information on this that you could signpost? Are we at the stage where there is specific practical advice about the link between genes and foods? Many thanks!

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to rachelleigh73]

It's partially correct that foods trigger our genes, but the correct circumstances have to be there.

I went to a talk on Coeliac disease recently, which would be a prime example. According to the presenter (a pediatric specialist), approximately 40% of the population carries the gene for coeliac disease, however only 1% of the population goes on to develop the condition. The problem is, they don't know what causes the disease to switch on in some, and not in others. That's an area they're researching.

What they do know is that in every instance of coeliac disease, leaky gut is present, and one theory being investigated, is whether the leaky gut comes first or comes second.

Many theorise that the leaky gut come first, and that then allows food particles to enter into the body, which triggers the immune system. From there, the genes kick in, and cause the immune system to get confused. The immune system will then recognise similar molecules produced by the body, as being linked to these food invaders. The body will then start tracing those back to their origins, and attacking those organs.

I'll link to an extract from the book I read on my own auto-immune disease, which explains it best: medium.com/thrive-global/ho...

[rachelleigh73 in reply to Cooper27]

Thanks Cooper - I will read the article more fully later - but I'm thinking that the knowledge and science relating to these types of connections is still in it's infancy ...

[pcspetpro in reply to andyswarbs]

Nutritional effects epigenetics and is exceptionally important. Nutrients and bioactive food components can modify epigenetic phenomena and alter the expression of genes at the transcriptional level. Bioactive food components directly affect enzymes involved in epigenetic mechanisms. "You are what you eat".

[rachelleigh73 in reply to pcspetpro]

Hi pcspetpro - I'm very interested in finding out more about how to 'Modify the macro percentage to align with your unique genetic make up and energy requirements. There are more steps but this is the direction to improve your health, weight, energy level and vitality.'

Are there some online resources you could post links for, or a book you could recommend? Many thanks!

[pcspetpro in reply to rachelleigh73]

It's easy to find out ones daily macro's by using a food app. One can vary this macro ratio by trying different types of diet and see how it affects their energy level/vitality. If one has their gene profile (raw data), there are companies that can give a in depth health analysis.

[rachelleigh73 in reply to pcspetpro]

Thanks - I know how to see and vary my macros. I was hoping you could detail how I might align my macros with my unique genetic make up and energy requirements? Some further information would be much appreciated - thanks!

[pcspetpro in reply to rachelleigh73]

You can get you genetic raw data from companies like 23andme. You would have to research companies that can use your raw data to help with customized advise.

[rachelleigh73 in reply to pcspetpro]

Great - many thanks!

[Hidden]

I quit eating processed and fast foods years ago. I was still having acid reflex and gut issues. I read The China Study and Whole, by T Colin Campbell, and it opened my eyes to the dangers and health benefits of foods. I am now on a Whole Food Plant Based Diet and in a short time have eliminated my gut problems. Years ago I used to eat those frozen meals, but found out there was no nutrition in them. Might as well eat cardboard, has the same effect.