Do you think it's impossible to eat only one potato chip or one frozen pizza? Most people do.
There's a reason for that. It has to do with the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods (UPF).
Ultra-processed foods are typically high in fat, refined carbohydrates, sugar, and salt.
Contains plenty of additives and preservatives. It has little or no nutritional value.
Examples of UPF include packaged bread, most breakfast cereals, sugary drinks, instant soups, frozen pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, condiments and sauces, candy, cookies, ice cream, flavored yogurt, pastries, Includes chocolate, noodles, sauces and fast food. .
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It is estimated that a typical person consumes 58% of their total daily calories in the form of UPF.
Are these foods addictive? Maybe. probably.
Food manufacturers design processed foods to be highly palatable and flavorful. These activate reward and pleasure sensors in the brain. This reaction is very similar to that which occurs during drug abuse.
When researchers used guidelines for assessing responses to drug abuse, they found that UPF elicited the same response in humans.
Eating UPF causes a surge in the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine is the “feel-good chemical” in the brain. A spike of dopamine occurs, followed by an equally intense crash. Then we ask for more of his UPF for that good feeling again.
This is very similar to what happens when you take nicotine, alcohol, or drugs.
In fact, some studies have shown that UPF is as addictive as opiates.
Certain combinations are especially delicious. These include fat and sugar (ice cream, donuts, cookies, etc.), fat and salt (pizza, sausage bacon, etc.), and refined carbohydrates and salt (chips, crackers, pretzels, etc.).
Apart from the addictive potential of UPF, there are many negative health effects of consuming these foods.
Excessive intake of UPF is associated with many health problems. They are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, and kidney disease.
Another concern is the effect on gut health. UPF does not contain nutrients essential to health and usually does not contain fiber. This negatively affects the balance of the intestinal microflora, leading to digestive disorders and weakened immunity.
UPF affects mental health by increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. They affect the balance of brain chemicals, affecting mood, energy, motivation, and overall mental health. They are associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
Consuming UPF significantly increases the risk of obesity. These foods are usually much higher in calories than unprocessed foods, and they are also less satisfying, leading to overconsumption.
Studies have shown that when people are fed a diet consisting primarily of UPF, they consume approximately 500 more calories per day than those who eat primarily unprocessed foods.
After two weeks of eating a UPF diet, the average participant gained 2 pounds. Those who ate an unprocessed diet lost 2 pounds.
It's important to note here that UPF is not actually a food. These products are so far removed from the original food that they don't even resemble it.
For example, corn chips look nothing like an ear of corn. Potato chips don't look like potatoes.
For comparison, let's look at the difference between a donut and a baked potato. Both contain about 200-250 calories.
Although donuts are made from wheat, they don't look like wheat stalks. After harvesting, the wheat is refined (removed of fiber and nutrients), ground, mixed with all sorts of additives and preservatives, including fat, sugar, and salt, and shaped into a circle with a hole in the center. And there's probably added fat and sugar in the form of icing on top.
In comparison, baked potatoes are completely unrefined and unprocessed. Exactly what it looks like when it comes out of the ground. Nothing was added, nothing was changed.
Now, consider how you feel after eating a donut compared to a baked potato. Will he be satisfied and full after eating one donut? Probably not. In fact, most people eat 2-3 pieces before they feel full.
Eating a whole baked potato actually makes you feel full. You probably don't need to eat two or three more. right?
This is the difference in how your body reacts to processed and unprocessed foods.
To combat these health risks and pave the way to better health, well-being and longevity, it is important that we move to eating more unprocessed foods.
Susie Bond is a registered and licensed nutritionist/nutritionist in private practice. To contact her,[email protected]
