Is ultra-processed food unhealthy? Here’s why no one can agree



Ultra-processed food is often high in fat, sugar and salt
GMVozd/Getty Images
Nutrition advice is often fickle. In the 1990s, nutritionists blamed fats for rising obesity rates. Then, carbohydrates became the culprit in the early 2000s. Now, the refrain is to eat whole foods and avoid ultra-processed ones. Why can’t we get a straight answer on what we should be eating?
The trouble is that simply opting for foods with fewer and less-processed ingredients doesn’t guarantee a healthier diet. In fact, as a recent meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago demonstrates, studies on ultra-processed food (UPF)…
You Might Also Like
Women’s pelvises are shrinking – how is that changing childbirth?
Medical advances have changed childbirth – potentially enough to impact human evolutionFatCamera/Getty Images Women’s pelvises have become narrower over the...
Sea spiders ‘farm’ methane-eating bacteria on their bodies
Sea spider from the genus SericosuraBiance Dal Bó Spider-like creatures living near methane seeps on the seafloor appear to cultivate...
28 Years Later review: Danny Boyle’s long-awaited zombie sequel is a triumph
An infected in 28 Years LaterMiya Mizuno/Sony 28 Years Later Directed by Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland In cinemas...
How a US agriculture agency became key in the fight against bird flu
A dangerous strain of bird flu is spreading in US livestockMediaMedium/Alamy Since Donald Trump assumed office in January, the leading...