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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Feb-11-19, 19:55
JessAus's Avatar
JessAus JessAus is offline
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Plan: Primal/IF
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Location: Western Australia
Default Processed foods/sugar and increased risk of death

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  #2   ^
Old Tue, Feb-12-19, 05:26
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
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Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
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Progress: 134%
Location: NC
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This study was widely reported in the US yesterday, articles describing it as "Ultra-Processed" Foods. Confusion would start right with the titles and photos like this one on CNN with processed meats, where bacon can be simply smoked meat, while packaged cookies and cereal with a shelf life of years have more suspect ingredients.https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/heal...tudy/index.html

The articles on a newsfeed were all confused about what "ultra-processed" was exactly. A smoked meat? A packaged cookie/biscuit? frozen meals with additives? The Guardian explains how large that category is, others estimate about 65% of food eaten. https://www.theguardian.com/society...f-earlier-death
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019...essed-food.html
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, Feb-12-19, 19:25
JessAus's Avatar
JessAus JessAus is offline
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Plan: Primal/IF
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BF:~40%/26.3%/29%
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Location: Western Australia
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Thanks Janet - Yes, the study referred to Ultra-processed foods (Category 4 on the NOVA scale) Bacon or smoked meats are a category 3. Here is a breakdown on NOVA category 4 foods.

The fourth NOVA group is of ultra-processed food and drink products. These are industrial
formulations typically with five or more and usually many ingredients. Such ingredients often
include those also used in processed foods, such as sugar, oils, fats, salt, anti-oxidants,
stabilisers, and preservatives. Ingredients only found in ultra-processed products include
substances not commonly used in culinary preparations, and additives whose purpose is to
imitate sensory qualities of group 1 foods or of culinary preparations of these foods, or to
disguise undesirable sensory qualities of the final product. Group 1 foods are a small
proportion of or are even absent from ultra-processed products.
Substances only found in ultra-processed products include some directly extracted from
foods, such as casein, lactose, whey, and gluten, and some derived from further processing
of food constituents, such as hydrogenated or interesterified oils, hydrolysed proteins, soy
protein isolate, maltodextrin, invert sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Classes of additive
only found in ultra-processed products include dyes and other colours, colour stabilisers,
flavours, flavour enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners, and processing aids such as
carbonating, firming, bulking and anti-bulking, de-foaming, anti-caking and glazing agents,
emulsifiers, sequestrants and humectants.
Several industrial processes with no domestic equivalents are used in the manufacture of
ultra-processed products, such as extrusion and moulding, and pre-processing for frying.
The main purpose of industrial ultra-processing is to create products that are ready to eat, to
drink or to heat, liable to replace both unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are
naturally ready to consume, such as fruits and nuts, milk and water, and freshly prepared
drinks, dishes, desserts and meals. Common attributes of ultra-processed products are
hyper-palatability, sophisticated and attractive packaging, multi-media and other aggressive
marketing to children and adolescents, health claims, high profitability, and branding and
ownership by transnational corporations.
Examples of typical ultra-processed products are: carbonated drinks; sweet or savoury
packaged snacks; ice-cream, chocolate, candies (confectionery); mass-produced packaged
breads and buns; margarines and spreads; cookies (biscuits), pastries, cakes, and cake
mixes; breakfast ‘cereals’, ‘cereal’ and ‘energy’ bars; ‘energy’ drinks; milk drinks, ‘fruit’
yoghurts and ‘fruit’ drinks; cocoa drinks; meat and chicken extracts and ‘instant’ sauces;
infant formulas, follow-on milks, other baby products; ‘health’ and ‘slimming’ products such
as powdered or ‘fortified’ meal and dish substitutes; and many ready to heat products
including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes; poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ and
‘sticks’, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, and powdered
and packaged ‘instant’ soups, noodles and desserts.
When products made solely of group 1 or group 3 foods also contain cosmetic or sensory
intensifying additives, such as plain yoghurt with added artificial sweeteners, and breads
with added emulsifiers, they are classified here in group 4. When alcoholic drinks are
identified as foods, those produced by fermentation of group 1 foods followed by distillation
of the resulting alcohol, such as whisky, gin, rum, vodka, are classified in group 4.
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Feb-13-19, 07:40
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JessAus
Examples of typical ultra-processed products are: carbonated drinks; sweet or savoury packaged snacks; ice-cream, chocolate, candies (confectionery); mass-produced packaged breads and buns; margarines and spreads; cookies (biscuits), pastries, cakes, and cake mixes; breakfast ‘cereals’, ‘cereal’ and ‘energy’ bars; ‘energy’ drinks; milk drinks, ‘fruit’ yoghurts and ‘fruit’ drinks; cocoa drinks; meat and chicken extracts and ‘instant’ sauces; infant formulas, follow-on milks, other baby products; ‘health’ and ‘slimming’ products such as powdered or ‘fortified’ meal and dish substitutes; and many ready to heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes; poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ and ‘sticks’, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, and powdered and packaged ‘instant’ soups, noodles and desserts.


And we all know many people who eat nothing else.
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  #5   ^
Old Thu, Feb-14-19, 04:45
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
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Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
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Someone at CNN clued in that their first article needed a better explanation of "ultra-processed" so yesterday a follow-up with an actual list, though same photo of a hamburger and sausage.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/heal...ayer/index.html

A burger (that can be made with ground beef and nothing else) is ultra-processed while Cereal is minimally processed...so Lucky Charms unicorns are fine. Have to look at the definition and ingredient list to figure out where a product belongs.

Quote:
Other minimally processed foods -- and therefore healthier -- include sauces and dressings, as well as cereals, crackers, nut butters, yogurt and milk fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

It's the more heavily processed foods, also known as "ultraprocessed" foods, that are the "problem" processed foods. They are formulations of salt, sugar, oils and fats, as well as flavors, colors and other additives and are mostly consumed in the form of snacks, desserts, and ready-to-eat and -heat meals. Ultraprocessed foods are industrial formulations that typically contain five or more ingredients, and may contain, for example, hydrogenated oils, dyes or flavor enhancers that are not found in other processed foods.

Last edited by JEY100 : Thu, Feb-14-19 at 04:53.
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  #6   ^
Old Thu, Feb-14-19, 05:12
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
Someone at CNN clued in that their first article needed a better explanation of "ultra-processed" so yesterday a follow-up with an actual list, though same photo of a hamburger and sausage.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/heal...ayer/index.html

A burger (that can be made with ground beef and nothing else) is ultra-processed while Cereal is minimally processed...so Lucky Charms unicorns are fine. Have to look at the definition and ingredient list to figure out where a product belongs.


It's a sneaky thing they like to so. Studies have shown that if the text contradicts the picture, the picture is taken as the real content.

And the typical fastfood burger does have stuff added to it, doesn't it? Like the infamous Taco Bell incidence, where they were sued, and their defense was, "No, our taco meat is 33% real meat!"
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Feb-14-19, 06:56
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Calianna Calianna is offline
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Plan: Atkins-ish (hypoglycemia)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
Someone at CNN clued in that their first article needed a better explanation of "ultra-processed" so yesterday a follow-up with an actual list, though same photo of a hamburger and sausage.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/heal...ayer/index.html

A burger (that can be made with ground beef and nothing else) is ultra-processed while Cereal is minimally processed...so Lucky Charms unicorns are fine. Have to look at the definition and ingredient list to figure out where a product belongs.



And strangely enough, even though they claim cereal is minimally processed, cereal bars are considered to be ultra-processed. Here's their sample list of ultra-processed foods:
Quote:
  • Carbonated drinks
  • Sweet or savory packaged snacks
  • Ice cream
  • Candies (confectionery)
  • Margarines and spreads
  • Cookies, pastries and cakes
  • Cereal bars
  • "Fruit"-flavored drinks
  • Cocoa drinks
  • Meat and chicken extracts
  • "Instant" sauces
  • "Health" and "slimming" products such as powdered or "fortified" meal and dish substitutes
  • Pre-made pies, pasta and pizza dishes
  • Poultry and fish "nuggets" and "sticks"
  • Sausages
  • Burgers
  • Hot dogs
  • Powdered and packaged "instant" soups, noodles and desserts




As you pointed out, the burger (it doesn't specify whether it's a homemade burger patty, or a big mac, or somewhere in between) is considered to be ultra-processed. Sausages can be simple ground meat, salt, and seasoning (sage, pepper, or other real herbs/spices) - again, not ultra processed, unless we're talking about something strange, full of preservatives, closer to hot dogs than actual sausage.



On the other hand, ice cream is also ultra-processed - although if you're eating real ice cream, it shouldn't be much more than cream, milk, sugar, and either flavor extract (such as real vanilla) or fruit. While the sugar would eliminate it from my list of allowable foods, it doesn't sound ultra processed to me.



Somehow pre-made pies, pasta and pizza dishes are ultra-processed, while presumably, if you make them yourself, they're not ultra-processed, and yet ALL cookies, pastries, and cakes are ultra-processed, whether you buy them ready-made, or make them yourself.



I question the sweet or savory packaged snacks too. Sure they're ultra-processed if they're individually packaged, preservative-laden iced cinnamon buns, or artificially flavored BBQ potato chips, but I would consider a packet of unsalted nuts to be a savory snack too, and yet there's no processing at all involved there, except that they're pre-shelled, and sealed in plastic packets.


Also, according to their lists, sauces and dressings are fine - I've seen very few jarred sauces that didn't have way more processing and questionable ingredients than what I'd make at home, and can't remember ever seeing a bottle of dressing that didn't have far more than half a dozen ingredients, usually including artificial flavorings, and preservatives.



The whole thing is misleading and confusing to the general public.

Last edited by Calianna : Thu, Feb-14-19 at 06:57. Reason: missed the word "doesn't" in the ice cream paragraph - totally changed the meaning!
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Feb-14-19, 22:53
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bevangel bevangel is offline
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Plan: modified adkins (sort of)
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My personal definition of an "ultra processed" food?

Any food that contains high fructose corn-syrup or an ingredient with a name that instantly transports me back to my college chemistry class!
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 04:19
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GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
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Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
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I would add bread to the ultra processed foods list.
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  #10   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 06:42
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WereBear WereBear is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GRB5111
I would add bread to the ultra processed foods list.


Heck yeah. The list of what wheat goes through, from what is done to it in the field to the tortured loaf that lands on one's plate, has got to be the longest list of all foods.
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 11:06
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teaser teaser is offline
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I would add bread too, but I don't really like the term "processed." Like the word "quality," it doesn't mean anything specific enough. Although I actually do think that in the context here, a lot of otherwise probably harmless foods can contribute to ill health. If you take the sort of Chinese food we eat here in North America, for example--what might be perfectly innocuous chicken, beef, pork, egg or veggies can certainly make the breading they're coated in and the various syrups their dipped in more palatable. The idea of protein leverage could sort of cut both ways--eating a higher protein diet might in some cases prevent overconsumption, but the drive for that meat taste can also have us overeating some foods that taste meaty, but aren't actually very good sources of protein at all.


Quote:
Meat and chicken extracts


This stuck out for me as--what, a little harmless broth? But I scarfed down quite a bit of ramen noodles that I might not have bothered with, without those yummy meat and chicken extracts, back when.

Even msg, the ultimate umami-flavour hack, doesn't seem to be that harmful, fed to intact rodents rather than to slices of their brains, unless it's added to their chow.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 12:49
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Calianna Calianna is offline
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Yeah, I was looking at the "meat extracts" and first thought of broth, wondering what could possibly be ultra-processed about real broth, thinking it must be due to a vegan aversion to anything made from (extracted from) real meat.

Then I realized they were referring to things like bouillon cubes (or other broth substitutes, such as Better than Bouillon, which I will reluctantly use occasionally, when I simply don't have enough broth on hand), and whatever meat-flavored dry flavoring concentrates are used in place of real broth.
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  #13   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 19:19
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deirdra deirdra is offline
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My definition of a processed food is something with a nutrition label slapped on it that contains more than one ingredient.
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  #14   ^
Old Fri, Feb-15-19, 20:53
violetgrey violetgrey is offline
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I only recently read the labels of cereals because my grandchildren ask for them. I was shocked that some have 30 to 50% of the daily iron requirement. That's for adults. If a seven year old ate two bowls of cereal he'd get a dangerous overdose. Does anyone ever mention this? No. I told him they overload the iron and vitamins in case some children don't get any other food the rest of the day. But even if parents are carefully reading labels, what about adults whose preferred binge sugar is cereal? Two or three bowls would be a dangerous amount of iron - I ate that much as a teenager but maybe they hadn't yet loaded in the vitamins in the 1960s.

And this is just one thing among many that is wrong with "processed foods." They assume everyone needs the "fortified" cereal. I looked at the hippie brands, the expensive, all natural ones and they have 10% of the iron, not 30 to 50% like almost all of the popular ones marketed to kids. Lucky Charms are not OK. The worst one is Froot Loops - still has hydrogenated fat which was banned in Canada but can be sold until they use up existing stock. This is the food supply we have to navigate.
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