Junk food really is junk
A bag of chips, packaged breakfast cereal, and chicken nuggets from a fast-food restaurant are all examples of ultra-processed foods, and they make up around 60% of the calories in the average adult’s diet.
Why
are they so popular? It’s the convenience factor: ultra-processed foods are
ready to heat up and eat. With people having less time to prepare healthy meals
at home, ultra-processed foods are a way to get a meal on the table quickly.
But for health, they have downsides.
Ultra-processed
foods are anything but natural. These foods wrapped in neat, tidy packages with
tantalizing colors are the concoctions of food companies. They contain food
processed in ways that reduce their nutritional content and contain a
combination of sugar, fat, salt, and additives.
These
foods are designed to taste good and make you crave more of them. When you eat
these overly processed, it also crowds healthier fare off your plate.
Not
only do ultra-processed foods contribute to weight gain and obesity, but they
also increase the risk of developing other health problems like type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease. Let’s look at the reasons why ultra-processed foods
are harmful to health and well-being.
Ultra-Processed Foods Harm Cardiometabolic Health
Heart
health matters! Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in Western
countries, and ultra-processed foods harm heart and metabolic health and
contribute to the epidemic of heart disease and stroke.
One
study looked at five markers of cardiometabolic health: blood lipids, body mass
index, blood pressure, blood sugar, and whether someone had cardiovascular
disease. It found that just under 7% of people are healthy based on all these
parameters. With the growing emphasis on ultra-processed foods, Americans are
eating themselves into weight gain and health problems.
Ultra-processed
foods, with their refined carbohydrates, trigger harmful blood sugar spikes and
increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plus, ten
percent of the population is sensitive to the high sodium content these foods
contain and experience a rise in blood pressure when they consume them. In
addition, refined carbohydrates raise blood triglycerides, another risk factor
for heart disease and stroke.
Manufacturers Target Ultra-Processed Foods to
Children
It’s
also concerning that manufacturers target ads for junk food, like breakfast
cereal, to kids. Children are especially vulnerable to a diet high in sugar and
low in nutrition because their bodies are still developing. Consuming an
abundance of ultra-processed foods sets them up for a lifetime of health
problems. Eating preferences form early, and the desire to eat cheap, processed
foods stays with them into adolescence and adulthood.
Manufacturers
woo children with cartoons on packaging and fun-sounding names like “Oreos” or
“Goldfish.” These products also tend to be cheaper than other options, which
makes them attractive for families on a budget — but they also lead to
expensive health problems later.
Approximately
20% of children in the U.S. are obese, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Childhood weight gain increases the risk of type
2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, which can have serious health
consequences in adulthood. In fact, pediatricians are seeing type 2 diabetes at
younger and younger ages.
Ultra-processed
foods contribute to these issues because they’re high in sugar and fat, as well
as low in nutrients like fiber and vitamins. Children who eat too many of these
foods also tend to consume fewer fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — all of
which contain essential nutrients that support healthy growth and development.
Ultra-processed foods start kids off down the wrong path!
Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Harmful to Gut
Health
Ultra-processed
foods also contain additives, including emulsifiers, that could harm the
delicate balance of bacteria in the gut, the so-called gut microbiome. As
Holistic Primary Care points out, research suggests additives in ultra-processed
foods may disrupt the gut’s delicate intestinal barrier and contribute to bowel
issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, food
intolerances, and even autoimmune conditions. At the very least, eating a diet
rich in ultra-processed foods leaves less room for fiber-rich fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains that foster a healthy gut microbiome.
They May Be Addictive
Whether
it’s the salt or the sugar, it’s hard to put down packaged snacks such as
potato chips or M&M’s. You can’t eat just one! Plus, animal studies suggest
that sugar and even salty foods have addictive potential. They stimulate reward
centers in the brain that release dopamine and create feelings of reward. And
once you develop a taste for heavily flavored processed foods, you’re less
likely to enjoy food in its natural state.
Ultra-Processed Foods Are Harmful to Mental
Health Too
Ultra-processed
foods aren’t just bad for your heart and metabolic health, they affect mood. An
analysis of 17 studies that looked at patterns of junk and ultra-processed food
consumption found that junk food eaters were more likely to experience symptoms
of anxiety and depression than those who didn’t indulge in ultra-processed
foods.
It
would be shortsighted to think that what you put in your body doesn’t impact
how you feel and your mental outlook. Certain vitamins and minerals, like
magnesium and vitamin B6, are important for mental health.
The Bottom Line
Dietitians,
doctors, and scientists don’t agree on everything, but most believe that
replacing ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates with fresh, whole
foods is one of the smartest moves you can make for your health — and now you
know why.
References:
- Processed Foods & Energy Drinks: A Public Health
Emergency – Holistic Primary Care. Holistic Primary Care. Published August
2, 2022. Accessed August 7, 2022.
holisticprimarycare.net/topics/nutrition-a-lifestyle/processed-foods-energy-drinks-a-public-health-emergency/
- “Ultra-processed food consumption among US adults from
2001 to 2018” by Filippa Juul, Niyati Parekh, Euridice Martinez-Steele,
Carlos Augusto Monteiro and Virginia W Chang, 14 October 2021, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab305 - “Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies” by Melissa
M. Lane, Elizabeth Gamage, Nikolaj Travica, Thusharika Dissanayaka,
Deborah N. Ashtree, Sarah Gauci, Mojtaba Lotfaliany, Adrienne O’Neil,
Felice N. Jacka and Wolfgang Marx, 21 June 2022, Nutrients.
DOI: 10.3390/nu14132568 - “Ultraprocessed Food: Addictive, Toxic, and Ready for
Regulation” by Robert H. Lustig, 5 November 2020, Nutrients.
DOI: 10.3390/nu12113401 - “The study of food addiction using animal models of
binge eating” by Nicole M. Avena, 16 September 2010, Appetite.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.09.010 - Childhood Overweight & Obesity. Published 2022.
Accessed August 7, 2022. .cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html
- “What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for
our health?.” 9 January 2020, .health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605.