Fitness
I’m in Good Shape Right Now. So How Worried Do I Actually Need to Be about Processed Food?
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are generating a lot of buzz these days. From pizza and crisps to protein-based snacks, they’ve been blamed for a catalogue of health concerns, including damaging our gut microbiota and raising the risk of depression – not to mention that they’re calorific and easy to over consume. But there’s a little more to it than those 15-second TikToks on the subject would suggest.
Let’s start by understanding what UPFs are. The term comes from the Nova classification system, which groups foods according to their level of processing. Not all experts are fans of the Nova system, with one study by a team of research professors in Brazil concluding that there’s no ‘direct or absolute correlation’ between the number of processes a food has been through and its healthiness.
Nutrition researcher Alan Flanagan agrees that Nova has its limits; it’s difficult to pick apart the impact of processing from other established dietary risks, such as high levels of sugar and calories, or a lack of fibre and vitamins. ‘Overall, the body of evidence suggests that the category of UPF is merely a proxy for evidence we already have on diet and disease risk,’ he says.
One unintended consequence of scaremongering, he suggests, is that it could lead those on tight budgets to avoid certain products that could actually be beneficial to them. He raises the example of margarines with added plant stanols, which are considered UPFs yet can help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
This isn’t to say that UPFs are harmless – just that not all are created equal. In a report published last year, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition pointed out that factors such as energy intake, body mass index and socioeconomic status might not be adequately accounted for in research. If you can’t afford to avoid UPFs, there might be other reasons for your poor health.
As for those who consider themselves to be in pretty good nick? According to Dr Flanagan, there’s little reason to fixate on UPFs – no specific food in isolation is harmful.
He recommends cultivating a nutrient-dense diet you enjoy, without chastising yourself for the odd less nutritious option here and there. ‘The boring advice of following a balanced diet remains valid – assess the healthfulness of any given food on all of its nutritional merits.’ It might not play well on TikTok, but it’s nonetheless true.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
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