All you need to know about ultra-processed food items
Ultra-processed food items sound scary, don't they? The fact of the matter is that it's not merely the name that's scary. These excessively manipulated, packaged food items are known to ruin our heart health, affect digestion, cause cancers, among other health issues. Read on to know what ultra-processed foods are, and which food items you need to stay away from.
Difference between processed and ultra-processed foods
Processed food: When ingredients like oil, sugars, salts are added to food items before packaging, they become processed food. Although they are manipulated and packaged, they aren't necessarily detrimental to health. Examples are packaged bread, cheese, tofu. Ultra-processed food: Items that go through multiple processes, contain excessively added ingredients (salts, sugars), and are highly manipulated are called ultra-processed food. Examples include soft-drinks, chips, candies, ice-creams etc.
Foods to avoid: Chips and Sodas
Chips: Chips are loaded with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. They will ruin your health in the long run. Consider swapping your packets of chips with light-as-feather, fiber-filled popcorn. Sodas: With zero nutritional content, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, sodas are a big no-no. Plus, soda intake has been linked with increased risk of headaches, depression, and Type-2 diabetes.
Foods to avoid: Frozen foods and candies
Frozen foods: Frozen food items like frozen pizzas, hotdogs, chicken, and ice-cream are super-loaded with preservatives and other additives, and thus are harmful for health. So, bid timely farewell to them before they ruin your health. Candy: Candies, filled with excessive sugars and artificial flavors are way too processed for healthy consumption. So, limit your intake of candies. Swap them with dark chocolates.
Other food items to avoid
Other ultra-processed food items you must avoid are packaged, sweet baked snacks, instant noodles, sweet biscuits and other biscuit-like snacks, flavory sugar alcoholic drinks like breezers, and energy/protein bars.
