6 New Year, Fresh Start Health, Fitness & Wellbeing


The processed perplexity


A


ccording to the NHS, processed food is any food that’s been altered in some way during preparation,


and food processing can be as basic as freezing, canning, cooking or drying. So, taken literally, avoiding processed food would mean eating only raw food. But, according to Professor Tim Spector, co-founder of ZOE, the personalised nutrition company, and author of Sunday Times bestselling book, Spoon Fed, it’s the ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that are full of E-numbers, salts and sugars that we should be avoiding. But instead, over half of the UK total energy intake comes from UPFs.


So, what is ultra-processed food? Processed foods are those that are partially altered by adding ingredients to it, like sugar, oil, fat and salt, or foods that have been frozen or canned to last longer. T ese can include tofu, tinned beans and cheese. However, the fact that these foods have been altered doesn’t mean that they’re bad for our health. Ultra-processed foods (UPF), on the other hand, are entirely altered and have high levels of unhealthy fats and artifi cial ingredients, like preservatives and fl avourings, added to them. T ey undergo industrial processes that make them convenient, easy to eat and highly palatable. While they may resemble real foods, they’re not whole foods.


It can be easy to get confused when being told to avoid ultra-processed food. So, we spoke to Professor Tim Spector to fi nd out what that means. Words: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey


PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY


How do preservatives and e-numbers impact our bodies? Preservatives are a type of additive that extends the shelf life of foods and maintains their quality. T is includes natural preservatives such as salt and vinegar, as well artifi cial


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Processed foods are those that are partially altered by adding ingredients to it, like sugar, oil, fat and salt, or foods that have been frozen or canned


preservatives, which may have negative eff ects on our health and our gut microbiome if consumed in large amounts. E-numbers are chemical additives that are created in labs to make our food look appealing. T e more UPFs we consume,


the more likely we are to develop diseases such as type-2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and heart disease. T e high levels of salt, sugar, fat and artifi cial ingredients in these foods make them hyperpalatable, and when we eat them, it sends a message to our brain to eat more. Also, because these foods are easy to consume, we eat them much more quickly than whole foods, so they’re likely to cause a faster sugar and fat peak in the blood.


What sort of things should we be looking out for? Look out for the ‘health halo’ eff ect. T is is where companies attach health claims to their foods, like ‘low fat’, ‘low sugar’ or ‘high in protein’ to hide the fact they’ve added fl avourings, preservatives or other artifi cial chemicals. If there’s a long list of ingredients that you don’t recognise on the label, then it’s best to avoid it. It’s also always better to take time to cook at home, rather than grabbing on the go.


TIM’S HEALTHY SWAPS Professor Tim Spector


• Replace sweetened yoghurts with natural live yoghurt or kefi r.


• Replace ultra-processed snack bars with fresh fruit and a handful of nuts and seeds.


• Replace processed meats (ham, sausage and bacon) with whole chicken, pork or beef and added pulses like lentils.


• Replace processed milk chocolate or white chocolate with good quality dark chocolate.


• Replace sugary breakfast cereals with natural live yoghurt topped with nuts, seeds and fresh fruit.


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