Have you ever noticed the colorful, shiny food packages in the grocery store? They look tasty and fun, but there’s a hidden danger inside. Many of these foods are what we call highly or ultra-processed. This means they are made in factories with ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial colors. These ingredients help keep the food fresh for a long time and make it taste good, but they are not good for your health.
The FDA, or the Food and Drug Administration, is responsible for ensuring the food we eat is safe. However, they sometimes allow ingredients in our food that can be harmful. For example, some foods in the U.S. have additives like brominated vegetable oil, Red Dye No. 3, propylene glycol (an antifreeze), and titanium dioxide. These have been linked to serious health problems, such as cancer, nervous system damage, and hyperactivity. In fact, many of these additives are banned in European countries because they are considered too risky to eat.
Right now, highly processed chemical concoctions masquerading as food make up about 60% of what adults in America eat and nearly 70% of what kids eat. That’s a lot! Eating too much of these foods has been linked to many health problems, including obesity, anxiety, depression, and even certain types of cancer, like colorectal cancer. Eating a lot of highly processed foods can also lead to metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The problem is that these ultra-processed foods are everywhere. They include things like cookies, sodas, jarred sauces, cereals, packaged breads, and even ice cream. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if something is highly processed just by looking at it. One way to know is by checking the ingredient list. If you see a lot of unfamiliar ingredients or chemicals, it’s likely ultra-processed and dangerous to your health.
These foods started out as cheap and convenient options that could last a long time on store shelves. But over time, they have become so popular that they now dominate our food supply. The companies that make them are making a lot of money, but our health is paying the price. Research shows that eating too many ultra-processed foods can lead to serious health problems and even cause people to die a lot younger than they should.
So, what can you do to protect your health? The best thing is to eat more whole, natural foods. Try to eat a diet mostly made up of plants, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. This doesn’t mean you have to give up meat completely but try to make it a smaller part of your diet. Also, when you do buy packaged foods, take a minute to read the ingredient list. If you see a lot of chemicals or ingredients you don’t recognize, it’s better to choose something else.
By making these changes, you can help protect yourself from the dangers packaged in these ultra-processed foods and live a healthier life.