Health
4 ultraprocessed foods to take off your shopping list to increase your longevity
We know ultraprocessed foods are bad for us, but avoiding them entirely is unrealistic. The latest research shows that these 4 foods are the ones to steer clear of.
By Sabrina Rogers-Anderson
While neuroscientists are busy engineering foods our brains are powerless to resist, we’re becoming obese and developing life-threatening illnesses at alarming rates.
“Poor diet is now the leading cause of early death on planet Earth for human beings,” says Dr Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop?, in this sobering video. “The science is now really clear that the more ultraprocessed food you eat, the higher your risk of early death, cancer, heart attacks, strokes, inflammatory diseases like Crohn's disease, metabolic disease like type 2 diabetes, mental health problems like anxiety and depression, and finally and perhaps most worryingly of all, dementia.”
But with ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) so readily available and often cleverly disguised as healthy by cunning marketers, how can we possibly avoid them?
“I tell my clients to follow the 80/20 rule where they eat nutritious foods 80% of the time and enjoy discretionary foods 20% of the time,” says Lisa Hanlon, clinical nutritionist and founder of The Hive Health Hub & Dispensary. “If you tell yourself you can’t eat something, you may end up craving it, caving in and feeling bad about yourself.”
Knowing which foods are kryptonite for your health and which aren’t as bad for you can help you make smart choices. Here’s everything you need to know.
4 ultraprocessed foods to take off your shopping list
A recently published study followed close to 115,000 people for more than 30 years and found that those who ate an average of 7 servings of UPFs a day were 4% more likely to die of any cause than those who ate 3 servings a day.
The researchers identified 4 categories of UPFs that were most strongly associated with early death.
1. Processed meats
Meat, poultry and seafood-based ready-to-eat products – such as sausages, bacon, hot dogs and deli meats – had the strongest association with mortality outcomes.
Cutting back on your consumption of processed meats can have a significant impact on your health.
2. Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks
It’s no secret that soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are bad for your health, but artificially sweetened versions aren’t any better.
“They may have fewer kilojoules, but the body recognises artificial sweeteners as sweet, so they still have a negative impact on metabolism,” says Lisa.
3. Dairy-based desserts
Ice cream, pudding, custard and flavoured yoghurt are high in sugar and questionable additives (more on this below) and should be consumed in moderation.
4. Ultraprocessed breakfast food
Most breakfast cereals – including seemingly healthier mueslis – are loaded with sugar, salt and food additives. Many of them are made from refined grains and have very little nutritional value.
While this list is a good start, Dr Helena Popovic MBBS, author of Neuroslimming, says it’s far from exhaustive.
“Sweet snacks, including biscuits, artificially made cakes and pastries, are a mixture of sugar and vegetable oils, which should be avoided both as food ingredients and cooking oils because they’re highly processed,” she explains.
“Most people don’t realise this, but potato chips are carcinogenic. And when it comes to fast food, hamburger restaurants are the worst. They use processed meat, cook it in vegetable oil and their buns are so sugary.”
Food additives to avoid
While avoiding the UPF categories mentioned above is a great start, it’s also important to read food labels.
“Artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners, emulsifiers, various forms of MSG and chemical numbers all cause inflammation in the body and can lead to all sorts of chronic diseases,” says Lisa.
Because food additive names vary from country to country, she recommends that Australians avoid the following ingredients on food labels and consult the FedUp website for more information.
You can even buy magnifying wallet cards that list the offending additives to make food shopping easy.
10 healthy swaps for your favourite UPFs
Now you know what not to eat, but what should you choose instead? Dr Helena has some deliciously healthy suggestions.
Simple changes that have a big impact
While you can’t avoid all ultraprocessed foods and ingredients entirely, minimising your consumption of the most harmful ones could add years to your life. You don’t have to overhaul your entire pantry overnight, either. Just start by reading labels more carefully, choosing whole foods where you can, and swapping out a few of the regular culprits for the healthier options listed above.
It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being aware. Once you know what to look for, it becomes much easier to make choices that support a healthy, long life.
Feature image: iStock/Andrii Zastrozhnov
The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional health care provider.
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