Dear MEL Topic Readers,
They’re up to 70% of the American diet. But the US has no policy on ultraprocessed foods
Many foods we consume are somehow processed, such as unpackaged bread, canned fruits and vegetables, pickles, and cheese, which contain ingredients like salt, sugar, and oils. Ultra-processed foods typically have more than one ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colors and flavors. Ice cream, ham, sausages, chips, packaged bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavored yogurts, and instant soups are typical examples of ultra-processed foods. They are appealing to your tastebuds and also convenient because of their longer shelf life and ready-to-eat packages. Studies found people tend to overeat ultra-processed foods by 500 or more calories than those who eat unprocessed or less processed foods. Also, since these foods are high in added sugar, salt, fats, and additives like artificial colors and flavors but low in dietary fiber and vitamins, those who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression. It is estimated that such ultra-processed foods make up between 50% and 70% of the calories in the US’s food supply.
Read the article about the studies to find the health effects of highly processed foods.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/22/health/ultraprocessed-food-us-dietary-guidelines-wellness/index.html
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