Ultra-processed food

The Halloween party i still lingering in my body and my gut is less than happy with the (slightly too many) glasses of bubbles I indulged in. A somewhat nicer Halloween leftover are sitting on the kitchen counter. One of the cute little pumpkins  I have grown, is cut into pieces and is going to be tasty soup. Cooking from scratch is a bigger part of everyday life now than it used to be. Because the increased focus on ultra-processed food, has caught my attention. Several studies link ultra-processed foods to adverse health consequences. Studies show that more additives can increase inflammation and change in the intestinal flora of mice. If there is one thing I'm trying to take good care of these days, it's my gut bacteria.

Food processing is divided into 4 categories, which is called NOVA classification:

1 - unprocessed food or minimally processed food
This is food that is unchanged or treated minimally from the time it was collected, simply raw ingredients such as fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs and milk. Minimal processing may be that it has been cleaned, heat-treated, dried or frozen, but no other ingredients have been added.

2 Processed culinary ingredients
These are foods that are made from ingredients from group 1 that have been further processed or refined. For example, sugar, honey, olive oil, butter and flour.

3. Processed food
These are foods from group 1 that have been treated or added to products from group 2. The food is processed to increase shelf life, for example by cooking, frying fermentation or added simpler additives such as preservatives. Examples of this type of food are cheese, cured meats, pickles and canned fruits and vegetables.

4. Ultra-processed food
What characterizes the ultra-processed food is that it contains a number of ingredients that are not found in an ordinary kitchen, and that affect the taste, aroma, consistency. It's these ingredients that can be problematic, especially bulking agents and emulsifiers. Some of the ingredients are added to replace the amount of raw ingredients needed, while some are actually added to cover the fact that the other additives tastes horrific.

What is perhaps most frightening to hear is that in the worst cases, the product has been engineered to create a form of addiction. Meaning, when you sit down on the 3rd bowl of ice cream and feel like a pig without self-control (speaking from personal experience), it's not just necessarily about lack of self-discipline. The ingredient list is actually designed deliberately so that your "stop" button stops working, and you end up eating and buying more of the product. And the thought that some companies deliberately is trying to create food addicts provokes me.

So what should one do when something that is so fundamentally important to us as food, has become a topic that it's so easy to get lost in? When so many stakeholders want to pull or influence you in one direction or another. Whether it is morality, idealism, environment, health or perhaps most often, a desire for profit. To  steer myself in a slightly better direction when I'm at the store, I have started trying to follow a good advice I heard. To mainly choose foods that contain ingredients I could have found at home in the kitchen. It's something that is easy to relate to and understand. If I try to stick to this most of the time, then I think there is still room for that bucket of ice occasionally as well ..

Tips for podcast on the topic:
"A thorough examination"

Source:
https://forskning.no/mat-og-helse/to-nye-studier-kobler-ultraprosessert-mat-til-sykdom-og-dod/1342733
https://forskning.no/ny-mat-og-helse-kreft/forskere-kobler-ultra-prosessert-mat-til-kreft/285974
https://forskning.no/mat-og-helse-ny-overvekt/blir-vi-fete-og-syke-av-ultraprosessert-mat/270390
https://oslonyehoyskole.no/forskning/arets-beste-artikkel-i-nutrients-mekanismer-hvordan-ultraprosessert-mat-skaper
​https://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/i/86npkQ/hva-er-egentlig-problemet-med-industrimaten
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