by NEW YORK, June 30 (UPI) — A diet that restricts ultra-processed foods is not automatically healthy, and the types of foods people eat may be more important than the level of processing used to make them. suggests a new study.
The results were presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago.
Researchers compared two menus that represent the typical Western diet – one that emphasizes highly processed foods and the other that focuses on the ultra-processed variety, according to the NOVA Food Classification System.
This system categorizes foods into one of four groups based on criteria related to processing. It was designed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition at the School of Public Health at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
The less processed menu item was more than double the price and reached its expiration date more than three times faster without providing any additional nutritional value.
This finding “showed that ultra-processed and less-processed foods can score low on healthy eating,” said Allen Levine, professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in St. Louis. Paul, with UPI via email. .
Levine classified the different foods in the NOVA system for the study.
“In addition, ultra-processed foods that have a similar healthy eating score to less processed foods have a longer shelf life and are less expensive,” Levine said.
Based on these results, it is possible to eat a low-quality diet even when choosing mostly processed foods, according to the researchers.
“The results of this study show that there is more to building a nutritious diet than considering food processing as defined by NOVA,” said the study’s principal investigator, Julie Hess, in a news release.
“The nutrition research community needs to better characterize the concepts of ‘ultra-processed’ foods and ‘unprocessed’ foods,” said Hass, a research nutritionist at the US Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Grand Forks. Centre.
Last year, the team published a study showing that a person could put together a high-quality menu that aligns with dietary guidelines while deriving most of their calories from foods classified as ultra-processed.
For the new study, the researchers asked the other question: Can you build a low-quality menu that gets most of its calories from “simple” foods?
To answer that question, they put together a less processed menu, which derived 20% of calories from ultra-processed foods, and a more processed menu, which derived 67% of calories from ultra-processed foods. The NOVA system determined the level of processing involved in each menu item.
The researchers calculated that the menus had a Healthy Eating Index score of about 43 to 44 out of 100, a relatively low number that indicates poor adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
They estimated that the least processed menu would cost $34.87 per person per day, compared to $13.53 per day for the more processed menu. They also calculated that the median time to process the least processed menu items was 35 days, compared to 120 days for the more processed menu items.
The study highlights the disconnect between food processing and nutritional value, the researchers said. Some nutrient-dense packaged foods can be classified as ultra-processed – for example, unsweetened apples, ultra-refined milk, liquid egg whites, and some brands of raisins and canned tomatoes.
“When it comes to eating a healthy and affordable diet, both nutritional quality and price can be packaged together,” said registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake, clinical professor and director and director of nutrition programs at Boston University. She was not involved in the study.
Blake recommends using the grocery store circular or app to find healthy foods — fresh, frozen, canned or packaged — that are on sale and planning your weekly meals around these items.
“Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on the label as a guide to help you determine the nutritional quality of the foods you choose rather than being alarmed by their level of processing,” she said.
However, ultra-processed foods can significantly contribute to obesity and related chronic diseases if they are high in added sugars, unhealthy fats and artificial additives and have low nutritional value, said Dr Zhaoping Li, professor at medicine and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles.
“Ultra-processed foods were originally developed to provide convenient and affordable sources of calories aimed at preventing malnutrition,” Li said, adding that they are more popular because they often tap into consumers’ ready-made taste preferences. to eat or ready-. prepare formats.
She recommends replacing ultra-processed foods with a variety of fresh and nutrient-dense foods whenever possible.
A diet consisting of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables “ensures that the body gets the necessary vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds,” Li said.
“Prioritizing nutrition quality can help prevent chronic disease, improve energy levels and support overall wellness,” she said.
The study sends the overarching message that there is more to the health value of food than the level of processing it goes through to reach consumers, said Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian and practice instructor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
However, “I don’t think anyone would agree that sugary drinks, candy and snacks have low nutritional value and shouldn’t be eaten regularly,” Weinandy said. “We don’t want to put lipstick on a pig.”
