Processed food has a bad reputation as a diet. It's blamed for
increasing obesity rates, high blood pressure and the rise of Type 2 diabetes.
But processed foods are more than microwave foods, potato chips, and hamburgers.
According to FAO (Food Agriculture Organization), food preparation and
processing can be defined as "any change that is made to food to alter its
eating quality or shelf life" (1). it means that each one of operations
applicated to a raw agricultural commodity like washing, cleaning, freezing,
cutting etc. is enough for it to be called as "proccessed". We can
categorize foods into four groups considering processing levels: Group 1:
Unprocessed and Minimum Processed Foods, Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients,
Group 3: Processed foods, and Group 4: Ultra-processed foods (2).
Minimally processed foods are natural foods altered by processes such as
removal of inedible or unwanted parts, drying, crushing, grinding, fractioning,
filtering, roasting, boiling, pasteurization, refrigeration, freezing, placing
in containers, vacuum packaging, or nonalcoholic fermentation(2).
The
second group is processed culinary ingredients. These are substances obtained
directly from minimally processed foods or from nature by pressing, refining,
grinding, milling, and spray drying(2).
Processed foods are simply made by adding
sugar, oil salt or other processed culinary ingredients to unprocessed group of
foods. Also known as “Lightly Processed Foods” this category includes foods
like tomatoes, green beans, tuna, and berries that are canned or frozen soon
after harvesting(3).
Ultra-processed foods are made with five or more ingredients and are
filled with sugars, oils, fats, salt, anti-oxidants, stabilizers, and
preservatives (4). The main goal 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.
Processed food can help you eat more nutrient-dense foods. Milk and
juices sometimes are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and breakfast
cereals may have been added fiber. Minimally processed foods such as pre-cut
vegetables and pre-washed, bagged spinach are quality convenience foods for
busy people. Canned and frozen foods help to preserve perishables at their peak
to be consumed at a later date. Adding oils, sweeteners and preservatives help adding
texture and flavor to foods.
All
processed foods aren't unhealthy but some processed foods may contain high levels
of salt, sugar, and fat. Ingredients are added to processed foods to make their
flavor more appealing and to extend their shelf life, or in some cases to
contribute to the food's structure. Too much sugar, sodium, and fat in your
diet can lead to serious health issues, including obesity, heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer (5). The important point is keeping the
balance. I recommend eating less ultra-processed food and replacing it with
fresh food and some slightly processed foods.
On the
other hand, some processed foods are healthy for us. Fermented foods such as yogurt are also good
for your health because of the beneficial probiotics they provide. Probiotics
help supporting the immune system, relieving constipation, preventing some
types of cancer. Frozen foods retain more vitamins. Fortified foods are
considered functional, as they have vitamins and minerals added to them in
order to prevent diseases. Vitamin D is added to milk, as it helps with calcium
absorption, which is vital in the prevention of rickets and osteoporosis (6).
After
all, not all processed food is bad for your health. Food processing started out
mainly as a safety measure, one that would keep food fresher longer and prevent
food-borne illness. Processed foods, can be a part of a healthy diet.
1
http://www.fao.org/3/y5113e/y5113e04.htm#bm04
2
https://archive.wphna.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WN-2016-7-1-3-28-38-Monteiro-Cannon-Levy-et-al-NOVA.pdf
3
https://www.foodindustry.com/articles/the-4-categories-of-processed-foods/
4
https://drjacobschor.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/ultra-processed-foods-and-cancer-risk/
5
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/heart-disease-and-food
6
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/05/22/what-are-functional-foods/
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