Ultra-processed foods like dried fruits and canned beans can be part of a healthy diet. This was reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The concept of ultra-processed food was developed in 2009 by Carlos Monteiro, a scientist at the University of São Paulo. The NOVA food classification system ignores levels of nutrients such as fat, salt, sugar and carbohydrates. Instead, he divided food into four groups based on the level of processing used to produce it.
Ultra-processed foods in the NOVA system include chips, ice cream and sugary soft drinks. They contain little or no whole foods and often contain colors, flavors, emulsifiers and other additives not found in your home kitchen. Unprocessed foods include plain meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. takes place.
Dozens of studies in recent years have shown that an excess of ultraprocessed foods can increase cardiovascular risk as well as the likelihood of cancer, asthma, depression and other diseases. However, because these studies are mostly observational in nature, they cannot prove a cause-effect relationship. However, in 2019, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in the United States, which is considered the gold standard of research.
20 people were fed ultra-processed or unprocessed food for two weeks, then ate the opposite diet for another two weeks. Those who consumed ultra-processed foods gained nearly a pound on average, while those who consumed unprocessed foods lost the same amount. According to researchers, ultra-processed foods led to more calorie consumption. Monteiro believes the results are due to big companies making food “hyper-palatable”, encouraging overconsumption and even addiction.
Ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, include plant-based milk, baby food, raisins, supermarket bread, and other foods that are not generally considered unhealthy. Moreover, the same product can be divided into different categories. The 2022 study asked nearly 160 nutritionists to sort 231 different foods into four NOVA categories. The group was unanimously selected for only four products.
Because of this confusion, US researchers enlisted the help of NOVA experts to develop a healthy diet in which 91% of calories come from ultra-processed foods. They managed to create a diet that scored 86 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index. The diet included fruits and vegetables such as dried blueberries and canned beans, which are considered ultra-processed due to added preservatives.
Experts conclude that although the NOVA system contains many sound ideas, gummy candies and raisins should not be in the same “healthy” category, so more research is needed.
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