Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced and are super addictive to taste buds. One cannot stop at just one bite. Items such as sodas, instant noodles, preserved and frozen meats, sweet and savoury snacks in packets, bright-looking cereals, etc should be avoided completely. Companies invest billions in designing the taste and texture of such food items so that they become addictive in nature and trick the human taste buds so that we want to eat more of it. Such products are laden with sugar, salt, trans fats that light up the reward centre of our brain and that is why we want them. Here are some of the worrisome ingredients in ultra-processed food items:
Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners: Processed and refined sugar feeds bad bacteria growth in the gut, creating massive health and digestion problem. It suppresses immunity and causes inflammation. Sugar is the main reason why candida and oral thrush thrives. It is safe to say that it’s just as good as white poison. It lights up the brain activity just like any other psychoactive drug and is the main reason for hyperactivity in kids.
Sodium and MSG: While sodium is necessary, ultra-processed foods use too much of it which makes even one single meal eaten outside throw our daily recommendation out of balance. Sodium has a direct impact on our heart and blood pressure. Excess salt can cause issues like inflammation of arteries and water retention. It steals water from the cells leading to cellular dehydration leading to acidity, fatigue, hair loss, etc. It hardens the arteries, haemorrhages the blood vessels and thickens heart muscles. Refined salt is the biggest enemy of high blood pressure. To make matters worse, ultra-processed food also contains Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG), which is found in almost 80 percent of ultra-processed foods. It is a potent neurotoxin and causes stress on the liver.
Inflammatory Oils: Ultra-processed foods use cheap quality oils that are highly inflammatory and have a higher omega 6 content, which leads to an imbalance in omega 3 vs omega 6 ratio.
Artificial Colours and Dyes: Added food colours in junk foods and sweets (yellow, red, pink, blue) in high amounts are closely related to sinus, allergic reactions, eczema, asthma, ADHD, autism, cancer, low immunity in children as well as adults. If you see Yellow 5 and Red 40 as part of the ingredients, chances are these dyes are made from petroleum which is extremely toxic. Sometimes just the reduction in these food colours is all you need to see a change in the entire health condition. The other harmful ingredient is TBHQ (Tertiary butylhydroquinone), an additive used to preserve processed foods. It is also a petroleum byproduct and known to cause cellular dysfunction. The solution is to eat less of these foods and eat more home cooked foods and if you really want to buy packaged foods, always read the labels and choose safe options. Sometimes all that is required is self-discipline to stay away from such toxic foods. Understand that it is giving you nothing in terms of nutrition. It is merely business for companies that make these processed foods. Your health is your own responsibility.
The author is a Mumbai-based holistic lifestyle coach