The low down on processed food

Did you know that around two thirds of adults in the UK get their calorie intake from processed foods? With so many consumer options available now more than ever in your local supermarket and cheaper alternatives, you might have also been tempted to consume or purchase processed food at some point.  They’re often cheaper, quicker to prepare, and readily available on the go; processed food does tend to have several benefits.

While these benefits may be tempting in the short term, consuming them regularly can have long-term impacts on your overall well-being. In this post, we explore processed foods in detail, including what is considered processed food, its associated risks, and suitable alternatives for your lifestyle.

What are processed foods?

If you’re looking for a definition of what processed foods are, there’s no set one. Basically, processed foods are any food that’s been changed from its natural state. Food manufacturers process food to:

• Make some items safe and more edible, i.e., remove harmful bacteria.
• Preserve foods for them to last longer, i.e., frozen and tinned foods.
• Change the taste of the food, i.e., adding sweaters or salt
• Creating meals and snacks ready to eat

To give you an idea of what processed foods are, here are some examples:

• Factory-made bread
• Pre-packaged meals
• Cereals
• Cakes, chips and pastries
• Biscuits
• Sweets
• Soft drinks
• Alcohol

A lot of processed foods contain huge amounts of saturated fat, sugar and salt, making it difficult for your body to respond to them and digest, contributing to a lot of health risks.

Pro Tip: To know if foods are processed, check the label and look to see if the food is low in fat, high in saturated fat, sugar or salt.

What are the health impacts of processed foods?

If eaten in excess amounts regularly, processed foods can be really harmful to your health, causing the following risks:

Increased risk of cancer

There’s research which shows that ultra-processed foods can be linked to a 12 percent increased risk of specific cancers like breast cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic and more. Especially red or processed meat can be linked to colorectal cancer. Moreover, salted foods that have been smoked and contain nitrosamines (carcinogens) may trigger stomach and colorectal cancer.  Moreover, excessively consuming highly processed foods can lead to a greater risk of weight gain, obesity, and thus a higher chance of cancer.

Lack of nutrition in your diet

Processed foods can contribute to bad nutrition as they often replace the nutrients found in fresh foods. Again, highly processed foods typically tend to be low in fibre impact gut health, triggers blood sugar spikes, makes you feel hungrier and sparks overeating. Often this can lead to nutrient deficiencies such as iron, magnesium, vitamin C, omega-3 and more.

Risk of heart disease

Most processed foods are high in saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and added sugars; each one may play a role in contributing to heart disease. Certain trans fats or saturated fats in food can raise bad LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. Higher LDL can trigger the build-up of fats in the artery walls, which can narrow arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, added sugars in drinks can trigger weight gain, cause insulin resistance and triglycerides, which can be linked to heart disease.

Chronic inflammation

Processed foods also tend to be low in fibre and antioxidants, high in refined carbohydrates and chemical additives. This encourages a pro-inflammatory state, damaging blood vessels and encouraging clots to build up, causing chronic inflammation. Consistent chronic inflammation can cause cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, cancer, metabolic issues and neurodegeneration.

What are the worst kinds of processed foods?

When it comes to processed foods, there tend to be two categories they fall into: processed and ultra-processed. The main difference is that ultra-processed foods are even worse to consume as they’re manufactured from refined ingredients, and have added substances in them with very little whole food in them.

These foods will have:

• Artificial colourings
• Sweeteners
• Preservatives
• Refined oils
• Modified starches
• A huge quantity of sugar, salt and unhealthy fat

Top Tip: If you see any food in your local supermarket which is cheap, has a long expiry date and is highly palatable, i.e., you can’t stop eating it, there’s a high chance of it falling in the ultra-processed category.

Examples of ultra-processed foods

When it comes to ultra-processed food, there are so many different types that can fall into this category. Here are just a few to give you an idea:

• Energy drinks: These drinks combine different artificial sugars such as glucose and sucrose alongside caffeine. When consumed regularly, these drinks can have serious health risks, causing strain on the heart, blood sugar spikes, sleep and anxiety.  
• Breakfast cereals: Some breakfast cereals also have highly processed ingredients in them, such as sugar, preservatives and food colourings. Even grains such as corn and oats can sometimes be processed in a certain way, reducing their fibre and nutrient content, triggering insulin spikes.
• Bread: Bread in the supermarkets that is produced at mass quantities can be ultra-processed. Often these breads have additives like emulsifiers included on top of yeast, water, salt and flour to speed up the manufacturing process and preserve the. They’re also a frequent source of misleading health claims.
• Ready meals: Remember earlier when we said that food on the go might be ultra-processed? Well, if you see any pre-packed meals in your supermarket that are pre packed can be heated up in a few minutes; there’s likely a lot of preservatives and additives in them to make them look more attractive and taste good. Ready meals have been shown to lack essential nutrients, especially being high in salt and saturated fat.
  

Alternatives to processed food

Wrapping up processed food

Overall, processed and ultra-processed food can be really bad and damaging for your body in the long term. To know if food is processed, look for the ingredients on the label. If there’s less and no artificial ingredients, sugars and preservatives, it’s usually better. Try to avoid eating quick consumable food on the go or ones that are cheaper, as they may also fall into the processed category.

Remember, if you see a long expiry date on the packaging, there’s a high chance it could be processed. To know more about the nutrients you might be skipping in your diet from over-consuming processed and ultra-processed foods, check out the most common nutritional deficiencies.