Author : Dr. P. D. GUPTA
Former Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
www.daylife.page
About 15 years back, Brazilian Scientist Dr Carlos Monteiro gave the concept of ultraprocessed foods, bringing significant changes in nutrition and public health. Let's first understand what is the meaning of “ Ultraprocessed Foods”. Foods can be eaten without any processed mean simply after washing with water.
· Unprocessed or minimally processed foods like bagged beans and pasteurized milk; processed culinary ingredients like butter, olive oil, and sugar;
· Processed foods like canned grains and vegetables, jams, and tomato paste; and
· Ultra Processed foods, which are products resulting from aggressive fractionation of unprocessed foods, such as sodas, cookies, and frozen pizzas.
Earlier in India people used to eat Kand, Mool, Phal (uncooked meals). Later, roasted food was used and now everybody prefers “Fried Food “ and” Pressure Cooker” cooked food only.
. "Ultraprocessed foods were created to replace fresh meals, not to provide the necessary [nutrient] proportion or improve sensory properties. For this, there are a series of industrial processes. Foods are hydrolyzed, hydrogenated, extruded, and prepared through industrial methods like frying. To make them palatable and durable, cosmetic additives such as flavors, emulsifiers, colorings, and flavorings are added. All these processes explain the name 'ultraprocessed' and have impacts on the final quality of the food and health," explained Monteiro. higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health and early death, according to the world's largest review of its kind.For example . soft drinks, chips, chocolate, candy, ice-cream, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, fries and more.
Chemical processes
Chemical processes used after foods are separated from nature, and before being consumed or prepared as dishes and meals. NOVA has four food groups: (1) unprocessed and minimally processed foods; (2) processed culinary ingredients; (3) processed foods and (4) ultra-processed foods, which are formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from group 1 foods and additives, with little if any intact group 1 food. Many investigations linking high ultra-processed food consumption with deterioration of diets and adverse health outcomes are reinforced by prospective studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. There are various plausible explanations of why diets high in ultra-processed foods
Worst ultra-processed foods
Energy drinks. These legal stimulants combine sugars in the form of glucose and sucrose with ingredients like caffeine to boost metabolism and increase alertness. ...
Mass-produced bread. ...
Breakfast cereals. ...
Hot dogs. ...
Vegan 'meat' ...
Chicken nuggets. ...
Reformulated potato snacks. ...
Margarine.
The research found direct associations between exposure to ultraprocessed food and 32 health parameters, covering mortality, cancer, and issues related to mental, respiratory ultraprocessed food currently providing close to or more than half of the calories in the diets of developed countries such as Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In middle-income countries, consumption is also significant but in smaller, though increasing, proportions, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health.
Ultra-processed food (UPF) is directly linked to 32 harmful effects to health, including a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health and early death, according to the world's largest review of its kind Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are linked to cardiometabolic diseases and neurologic outcomes, such as cognitive decline and stroke. However, it is unclear whether food processing confers neurologic risk independent of dietary pattern information. . According to a 2020 review published in Nutrients, the more ultra-processed foods consumed in your diet, the higher your risk of obesity, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal ailments, and metabolic disorders. (The author has his own study and views)
