Is Ultra-Processed Food Really That Bad For You?

Highly processed foods are here to stay, but that's not such a bad thing.

Ultra-processed foods are a modern invention.

They are here to stay.

But are ultra-processed foods really that bad for you?

The answer is yes.

Kind of.

Let Me Explain.

There is a huge body of evidence that points to the harms of ultra-processed foods on health outcomes.

For every serving of ultra-processed food, the risk of an early death increases by 18%.

For those who eat the highest amounts of ultra-processed food compared to the lowest, that risk increases by 62%.

For every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption, the risk of cancer increases by 10%.

The relationship to dying from any cause or cancer is not subtle.

If consumption of ultra-processed food was rare, this would not be such a global concern, but as you are likely well aware, ultra-processed food consumption is a major source of daily calories for many people.

As a percentage of household food purchases, ultra-processed foods account for up to 50% of all food purchased in Europe.

In the US, it is estimated that almost 60% of all daily calories come from ultra-processed food3.

But What About Its Impact On Heart Disease?

Again, the answer is clear.

Higher amounts of ultra-processed food consumption is linked to higher rates of heart disease and stroke.

For those consuming the most ultra-processed food compared to the least amount, the risk of heart disease increases by between 11 and 16%.

So, Case Closed, Right?

Well…. not so fast.

As always, the devil is in the detail.

So, let’s take a closer look.

What we find is that not all ultra-processed foods are created equal.

When you separate the study on heart disease and ultra-processed food out by the type of ultra-processed food, you find that the adverse impact is primarily driven by both sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats.

The other food groups, including savoury snacks, refined bread, cereals, etc., had little to no impact on cardiovascular risk.

This is not to say that you can just go to town on sauces, condiments and savoury snacks, but it should give you some reassurance that occasional consumption in an energy-balanced diet is unlikely to be harmful.

However, there may be another risk contributor when it comes to ultra-processed foods.

And that might simply be excess calorie intake driving excess visceral fat levels and insulin resistance.

In studies comparing those who could freely eat ultra-processed foods or unprocessed foods the ultra-processed food group consumes about 500 more calories daily5.

Over only a 2-week period, this translates into a 0.9 kg increase in weight.

Now, think of what a lifetime of unrestricted access to ultra-processed food might result in.

But surely some of that weight gain is down to the ‘Bad Stuff’ in ultra-processed food?

Probably not.

It is likely just down to the excess calories.

If you take people with obesity and feed them only ultra-processed food for a year, what do you think happens?

They lose weight.

How much weight?

About 10kg6.

That is close to the weight loss you can expect with a medication like Ozempic.

How Is That Possible?

Well. It means restricting calories to about 800 calories per day.

As unfashionable as it is to say…. this problem is just mostly about the calories.

So, Do I Think Ultra-Processed Fooda Are Good For You?

No.

I think that any food group consumed in a calorie excess will likely cause an issue.

When it comes to ultra-processed foods however, I think it is wise to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed meats.

But for other processed foods, I think they are probably fine when consumed infrequently as part of an energy balanced diet.

So the next time you are eating a savoury snack and come across an article on how dangerous ultra-processed foods are…

Enjoy the snack.

But just make sure it’s all part of your calorie goal for the week.