Ultra-processed foods – Tips for Dealing with Ultra-Processed Foods

Highly processed foods, also known as ultra-processed foods (UPF), make everyday life much easier for many people. These products have a long shelf life, are ready to eat, and are often very tasty. But there’s also a downside: they’re often packed with fat, sugar, salt, and additives. Studies show that eating a lot of UPF increases the risk of certain diseases. We’ll provide guidance on how to approach highly processed foods—including simple shopping tips for everyday life.

What is ultra-processed food?

Packaged pastries and bread, frozen meals like pizza, soft drinks, sausages, margarine, ready-to-eat meals, salty snacks, instant soups, and even plant-based meat alternatives—all of these foods are considered ultra-processed foods (UPF).

A product of the food industry

UPF refers to foods and beverages made from a combination of different ingredients that have generally been produced or processed exclusively by industrial means. A typical characteristic of UPF is that the products contain high amounts of sugar, salt, or fat—especially saturated fatty acids—but are low in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.

In addition, UPFs usually contain many industrially produced food additives designed to improve the taste, texture, shelf life, and appearance of the food or beverages. These include, for example, emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, flavor enhancers, artificial flavors and colors, as well as sweeteners.¹

UPFs are popular—even in Switzerland

Highly processed foods have many advantages. They taste good, are quick to prepare, have a long shelf life, and are often affordable. This is what makes them so popular with many consumers. In countries such as the U.S. or the United Kingdom, highly processed foods account for more than half of the diet; in Switzerland, the figure is around 25 percent.²^,³

How UPF Can Harm Health

As many advantages as UPFs may have, highly processed foods face significant criticism. There are now numerous studies showing that regular consumption can have a variety of negative effects on health. We provide an overview of the current state of scientific research.

Risk Factor: Obesity & Cardiovascular Disease

Ultra-processed foods are often very high in sugar and fat, providing us with a lot of energy. If we eat a lot of them and consume more calories than we burn, the risk of becoming overweight increases. However, this is only one reason why UPF is associated with an increased risk of developing obesity.

In one study, researchers found that highly processed foods alter hormone levels. In those who ate larger amounts of UPF, levels of a certain appetite-stimulating hormone and the hunger hormone ghrelin increased. Another possible contributing factor is that UPF is less filling, causing us to eat more of it. Additionally, according to the researchers, UPF alters our gut microbiome—that is, the composition of bacteria in the gut—which can affect metabolism.⁴

Being overweight, in turn, is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, high consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, omega-6 fatty acids, salt, and sugar is directly linked to the development of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure5.

Risk Factor: Chronic (Intestinal) Inflammation

Highly processed foods are also criticized for their many additives. In particular, a high intake of emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners is believed to promote inflammation in the body. The gut microbiome may also play a role here. A number of studies show that high intake of emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners alters the microbiome, which can lead to inflammation in the gut⁶. Chronic inflammation in the gut, in turn, can have further negative long-term effects on health, such as an increased risk of cancer.

Risk Factor: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

A large study shows that frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Researchers are particularly concerned about the high levels of sugar, starch, sodium (found in salt), and, in some cases, partially hydrogenated oils in UPFs. At the same time, many products are low in dietary fiber, which has a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners may also play a role, as might harmful substances from packaging that can leach into the food over time7.

Risk Factor: Depression

However, increased consumption of highly processed foods can affect not only physical health but also mental health. Researchers analyzed data from over 31,000 women. Those who consumed the most highly processed foods had a 49 percent higher risk of developing a depressive disorder compared to the women with the lowest consumption. This is thought to be primarily linked to the consumption of sweeteners and beverages containing artificial sugar substitutes. Laboratory studies show that these “artificial sweeteners” influence certain signaling pathways in the brain and could thus contribute to depression⁸.

4 Tips for Managing Highly Processed Foods

As with many things in life, the rule of thumb for UPFs is: it’s all about the amount. It’s perfectly fine to reach for highly processed foods every now and then. However, they should make up only a small portion of our diet, which ideally consists of plenty of fresh, unprocessed staple foods.

1. Buy as few UPFs as possible. Instead, opt for fresh, unprocessed staple foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, legumes, eggs, and dairy products.
2. Cook with fresh ingredients as often as possible. To keep the effort to a minimum, choose very simple everyday meals with just a few fresh ingredients. You can also prepare larger portions and either eat them the next day or freeze a meal. That way, you’ll always have a healthy meal on hand when you need something quick.
3. However, hardly anyone leaves the supermarket without buying any UPFs at all. Pay attention to the length of the ingredient list—the shorter it is, the better. Also, it’s best to avoid products that contain many ingredients you’ve never heard of.
4. Avoid any soft drinks containing sugar or artificial sweeteners. Opt for water or unsweetened tea to quench your thirst.

The Thing About Omega-6 Fatty Acids

There are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You often read that omega-6 fatty acids are bad because they can promote inflammation in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are considered the “good” fats because they have anti-inflammatory effects. The fact is, however, that both types are essential for life and play a role in important bodily functions. What matters, though, is the ratio in which we consume these fatty acids.

A ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids of 5:1 is considered ideal. And that’s often where the problem lies. Many of us consume too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3s. Omega-6 fatty acids are found primarily in animal products, but also in sunflower oil. This, in turn—just like soybean oil—is frequently used in the production of ultra-processed foods (UPF).

At the same time, many of us eat little or no fish at all. Yet fish is the most valuable source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.

Sources

1. 1) Gibney M. Ultra-Processed Foods: Definitions and Policy Issues. 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. 2) Pestoni et al. Ultraprocessed Food Consumption is Strongly and Dose-Dependently Associated with Excess Body Weight in Swiss Women. 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. 3) How Food Processing Affects Our Health. arbor.bfh.ch
4. 4) Study on UPF and Hormone Levels
5. 5) Study on UPFs and cardiovascular disease (The Lancet)
6. 6) Study on emulsifiers and the microbiome, and another study
7. 7) Study on UPFs and type 2 diabetes mellitus
8. 8) Study on UPFs and depression