There are several barriers to eating healthy: time and convenience, cost, and flavor preferences, to name a few. Since the 1970s, the food industry has been introducing an increasing number of additives to our food. Ultra-processed foods now dominate the typical American diet. While many would argue it tastes better, research is showing it is not better for us.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods (like starches, fats, sugars) and additives (colors, flavors, emulsifiers), with little or no whole food. They are heavily altered from their natural state, often have long shelf lives, and are designed for convenience and taste, featuring ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors. Examples include sugary drinks, packaged snacks, most breakfast cereals, instant meals, hot dogs, and many store-bought breads and sweets.
Health risks associated with a diet high in UPFs include:
- Higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure
- Increased risks of certain cancers
- Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders
- Higher likelihood of early death from any cause
To identify ultra-processed foods (UPFs), check ingredient lists for unfamiliar additives, industrial substances (like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, flavors, colors, emulsifiers, thickeners) and multiple sweeteners; look for long lists, marketing claims, and products that don’t resemble their whole food origin (like “instant” meals, many packaged snacks, sugary cereals, and flavored yogurts).
While we may acknowledge these foods are not the best for us, changing our eating habits proves to be difficult because of their addictive nature. There are often uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms (cravings, headaches, body aches, irritability, and depression) when we start to eat less ultra-processed foods.
According to the article “Are Ultra-processed Foods as Addictive as Drugs?” Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are addictive because they’re engineered with hyper-palatable combinations of sugar, fat, and salt, plus additives, that hijack the brain’s reward system (dopamine pathways) similarly to drugs, causing intense cravings, loss of control, and compulsive overconsumption, unlike natural foods, which provide slower, balanced signals. Their rapid absorption and texture create a “bliss point,” tricking the brain into wanting more, leading to addiction-like patterns (https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/certified/december-2023/8510/are-ultra-processed-foods-as-addictive-as-drugs/).
If you can make it through the first few weeks, the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term discomfort. Those with diets low in UPFs report better and stable energy, improved digestion, reduced bloating, improved focus, clearer skin, reduced inflammation, fewer headaches, and better blood sugar, among other positive changes.
Here’s a short video to explain more:
Perhaps it’s time to evaluate how many UPFs you are consuming in a day. Awareness is the first step. Identify foods and drinks you could commit to swapping, and begin to take small steps toward a diet low in ultra-processed foods. Your future self will thank you!
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