Dangers of too much processed food and how to protect against nutritional deficiencies
They are convenient, they taste good, and we love them in the UK - eating more processed food than our neighbours in Europe. UK adults rely on over half of their daily calories from ultra-processed food but worryingly this is over 65% for children.
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are packaged foods that contain artificial ingredients and have undergone multiple processing steps. They usually contain substances that you would not find in your kitchen. Here are some examples.
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Most Breads
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Cakes & biscuits
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Breakfast cereals
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Sausages, bacon
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Ready meals or ready to heat products like pizzas, pies, pastas, burgers
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Processed cheeses
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Margarines and spreads
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Fruit flavoured yoghurts
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Ice-cream
Processed foods are often low in vitamins, minerals and fibre and this may explain why the UK nutrition is declining and key vitamin and mineral deficiencies are more common.
Solution
Making changes to your diet can help but if you struggle, consider high quality multivitamins like Dr Marks to protect against nutritional deficiencies.
High consumption of ultra-processed foods has also been linked to an increased risk of various diseases like heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health and even early death. Try to limit your consumption of these types of foods.
