The truth about Ultra Processed Foods
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00:00My name is Dr. Robert Thomas, I'm a consultant oncologist but also a professor of nutrition
00:04at the University of Bedfordshire.
00:06We've been hearing a lot recently about the dangers of ultra-processed foods.
00:11Now there was a paper published today in the European Journal of Nutrition which showed
00:16that nearly three quarters of the calories our children and teenagers eat actually comes
00:22from ultra-processed food, which is actually staggering and it's a big increase over the
00:27years.
00:28Now ultra-processed foods can come from meat or plants.
00:32Meat sources include things like beef burgers, sausage, pork pies, tinned meats and from
00:39plants it would include things like cereals, biscuits, things usually branded as healthy
00:45in fast food chains.
00:46Now the evidence suggests actually ultra-processed foods in itself is the harmful bit, whether
00:52it's from plants or animals, so they're not healthier options to come from a plant.
00:57The trial also showed that people who eat more ultra-processed food tend to eat less
01:02healthy foods like fresh vegetables, beans, mushrooms and foods like that, which have
01:07a protective effect on our health.
01:09Ultra-processed foods are harmful in many ways.
01:13They've usually had the fibre removed, so the carbohydrates and the sugars which are
01:17added as an extra, they usually absorb very quickly, increasing the glycemic index and
01:23increasing the risk of inflammation in your body, diabetes, obesity.
01:28They usually have lots of additives such as salt, sugar, preservatives, colours and flavourings.
01:35These in themselves are harmful, but they can actually interact with the unhealthy bacteria
01:39in the gut, causing a deterioration in the gut health, inflammation both locally and
01:45in the rest of the body and increased inflammation leads to cognitive problems, lower IQ, fatigue,
01:53poor sleeping habits and motivation to lead other healthy lifestyles.
01:58Even though this study referred to children, over time if you eat ultra-processed foods,
02:03your blood pressure will go up, your cholesterol levels will go up, you'll have an increased
02:07risk of heart attacks, stroke, dementia, arthritis, osteoporosis and a whole range of chronic
02:13diseases as you get older.
02:16This data is even more worrying because other recent studies have shown that our teenagers
02:22are more likely to be overweight compared to others in Europe, they exercise less, they're
02:28one of the highest consumers of alcohol in the world and they're more likely to smoke
02:33and vape.
02:34You put all these factors together and it is very concerning for the health now, but
02:41also there's going to be a surge of ill health as our teenagers go into adulthood.