question: We’ve all heard about the terrible things ultra-processed foods do to our bodies, but they’re everywhere and hard to avoid.Do we really need to worry about eating them, or will another hysterical discovery just go away? — Cary T., Nashville
answer: We’ve been writing and talking about the risks associated with eating ultra-processed and highly processed foods since the 1990s. Artificial ingredients that have been stripped of nutrients and fiber to extend shelf life, improve texture and flavor, and allow manufacturers to do things with ingredients that Mother Nature would never have thought of. contained. Additionally, they often contain emulsifiers and other additives that are indigestible. It negatively affects healthy gut bacteria and allows disease-causing gut bacteria to grow.
A meta-review of data from nearly 10 million people published in the journal BMJ found that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are associated with 32 health problems, including various cancers, mental illnesses, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. concluded that there was a “direct association” with adverse outcomes. Gastrointestinal and metabolic conditions.
- Convinced that eating UPF increases your risk of death from cardiovascular disease by about 50%, increases your risk of anxiety and other common mental conditions by up to 53%, and increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 12%. demonstrated by strong evidence.
- There is also evidence to suggest that eating processed foods increases your risk of death from heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep disorders by 40 to 66 percent, and increases your risk of depression by 22 percent.
- They also show that UPF intake is associated with some cancers, increased low-quality LDL, and decreased levels of healthy HDL.
If you want to avoid the risks associated with UPF: Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables (7 to 9 servings a day), fish such as salmon or skinless chicken (no processed meats), and eat sweet (artificially sweetened) foods. ) Avoid drinks and anything containing these ingredients. Unpronounceable items listed on ingredient labels. You can reduce your own his ActualAge by years (you can check his actual age at LongevityPlaybook.com).
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Dr. Mike Rosen www.longevityplaybook.comDr. Mehmet Oz is a global advisor to. www.iHerb.com, the world’s leading online health store. Mr. Roizen and Mr. Oz are respectively Chief Health Officer Emeritus of the Cleveland Clinic and Professor Emeritus of Columbia University.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
