Processing has its place
Putting everyday food choices into perspective
Julie Corliss
Harvard Health Publications
Make no mistake: Eating plenty of whole or minimally processed foods is considered the best strategy for keeping your heart — and the rest of your body — in good shape. We’re talking about vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts. But processed foods definitely belong on your menu, too.
Anything that changes food from its natural state is considered processing.
“For some foods, processing makes them safer — for example, pasteurizing raw milk,” says Dr. Qi Sun, associate professor in the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This type of minimal processing doesn’t substantially change the food’s nutrient content. Other examples of minimal processing are chopping and freezing vegetables and fruits, and roasting chicken.
At the next level are processed foods, which have a few added ingredients. Examples of these foods are canned vegetables packed in water and salt, freshly baked bread and peanut butter. Foods that are processed so much that the original food often isn’t recognizable — are “ultra-processed” foods. They include additives such as preservatives, oil, sugar, salt, coloring and flavoring.
Calories — or something else?
The main problem with ultra-processed foods is that people simply eat far too many of them. More than half the calories in the average American’s diet come from ultra-processed foods. Perhaps that’s because many of them are sweet or salty carbs, like cookies and chips, that are easy to overeat. One small but carefully controlled study found that people tend to eat about 500 more calories per day when offered mainly ultra-processed foods versus mostly unprocessed foods, even when the meals contained equal amounts of major nutrients.
According to a review in Advances in Nutrition, ultra-processed foods are linked to a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, unfavorable blood lipids and obesity. Some research hints that certain additives used in processing such as emulsifiers (which help fats and liquids blend together) play a role in raising cardiovascular risk. Another theory suggests that ultra-processed food may damage the microbiome. But the evidence is still evolving, says Sun.
Is processing the problem?
Instead of focusing on how much a food is processed, pay attention to the food’s basic ingredients.
“For example, some ultra-processed foods made from whole grains and dairy, including breakfast cereals and fruit-flavored, sweetened yogurt, aren’t necessarily unhealthy,” says Sun.
Yes, less-processed alternatives — such as rolled oats and plain yogurt with fresh fruit — are healthier. But in three large observational studies done in the United States, ultra-processed wholegrain bread, breakfast cereals and yogurt were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardio vascular disease.
In contrast, sweetened beverages, processed meats and ready-to-eat dishes were linked to higher risks of those conditions, Sun says. When it comes to cutting processed food from your diet, replacing soda with water is a good first step. And don’t forget that even some minimally processed foods, such as red meat and butter, aren’t good for cardiovascular health, says Sun.
Ready-to-eat dishes or microwavable frozen meals come in handy for people who don’t have the time or inclination to cook , and they’re often a better option than fast food. Look for choices that include whole grains and vegetables and healthy protein sources like beans, lowfat dairy, chicken or fi sh. Make sure the meal contains no more than 500 milligrams of sodium and is low in saturated fat (less than 10% of the total calories).
Reader questions on granola, probiotics
Barbara Intermill
We’re out horse camping in the Hill Country of Texas. And since this is our second year here with horses and dogs in tow, we are officially what locals here call “Winter Texans.” At least for the next few weeks, we’re off the grid — but not really.
We have electricity and running water — woo hoo! And we are surviving without television and cell service unless we walk to the top of a hill. So I think this week is a good one to answer a letters from readers.
Sue S. in Nebraska writes: “I tried the granola-bar recipe you put in the Lincoln Journal Star paper. I cut the recipe in half. The only thing I changed was pure olive oil instead of canola oil. I cooked them the proper temperature and time. But when I tried to cut it, they pretty much crumbled. So now I use it in yogurt treats. But just wondering what I did wrong.”
Doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong, Sue. Except the recipe was for granola, not granola bars. So yes, it should be crumbly.
Brian S., also from Lincoln, asks: “Can you please provide some trusted clinical studies, books or journals that have to do with how pre- and probiotics are not destroyed by stomach acids or shelf life in order to actually be useful for improved gut-biome health? What is a best practice for the amounts and types of live microorganisms?”
I’m not sure anyone has all the answers to your questions, Brian. One of the reasons is that the number of bacteria — both good and bad — that reside in our digestive tracts probably exceeds the national debt. To discover from these trillions of microorganisms which particular genus (such as Lactobacillus), species (such as acidophilus) and strain (such as NCFM) is best for each individual health condition is extremely tricky. Plus, each of us has a unique collection of these various organisms.
As you mentioned, it’s important to know that the product you swallow is going to still be alive after it makes its way through our digestive tract. You can begin by checking the number of colony-forming units — live organisms — a product contains. Scientists are also studying the use of various capsules to help probiotics survive the trip through stomach acids.
Look for brands that have research to back them up for the specific reason you are looking for. Activia probiotic yogurt, for example, provides more than 18 clinical studies to back up the specific culture used in their products marketed for digestive health.
Other good resources include the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics and the International Probiotics Association, which publishes guidelines for the manufacturers of these products.
Remember, too, that we can find these good substances in our diet. Probiotics survive on prebiotics — substances found in the fiber portion of the foods we eat. So these prebiotic “fermentable fibers” feed the probiotic beneficial bacteria in our guts. And everyone is happy.
Foods with beneficial bacteria (probiotics) include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh and kimchi. Good sources of fermentable fibers (prebiotics) include dried beans and other legumes, garlic, asparagus, onions, leeks and other plant foods.
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