Are Processed Foods Bad?

When people talk about processed foods, they usually think of junk food and assume it’s something to completely avoid. However, not all processed foods are bad for you. Some can even be perfectly healthy. The main problems are the highly processed and altered foods. These are packed with additives, sugar, and preservatives. Here are some common questions about processed foods to help you better understand its affects on your body.

What is a Processed Food?

A processed food is any food that has been changed from its natural form. Even very small changes such as chopping up vegetables, freezing fruit, roasting nuts, or even cooking rice counts as processing. So when someone tells you to avoid processed foods, they're not talking about your frozen fruits but referring to ultra-processed foods. Some common ultra-processed foods include:

• Sweetened and Flavored Beverages

• Breakfast Cereals

• Pre Packaged Pastry

• Microwave Dinners

These are foods that go through heavy industrial processing and are filled with added sugars, artificial flavorings, preservatives, and ingredients.

Whats The Problem With Eating Ultra Processed foods?

A number of studies have shown very high correlation of ultra processed diets with increased risks of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression. A study in the BMJ in 2023 found that people who ate more than four portions of ultra-processed foods a day had a 19% higher risk of early death compared to those who ate fewer portions. But this doesn't mean that all processed food is bad for you. Some processing actually does make foods better. For example, pasteurizing milk helps make the milk safer to drink, pre washed vegetables add more convenience, and adding iron or vitamin D to cereal makes it even healthier. It's about for what purpose the food was processed. A frozen bag of broccoli is processed but not harmful, while frozen pizza with 40 ingredients is processed but harmful

Is eating Too Much Processed Foods Bad?

No. It all depends on if your eating ultra-processed ones on a regular basis. This can be bad for your health in the long term. You don't need to give them up completely but notice how often you're eating them. Try getting your nutrition from whole foods whenever possible. Use highly processed foods occasionally for convenience, not for your everyday diet.