Research conducted by physicians from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine suggests that ultra-processed foods could be the new ‘silent’ killer in the standard American diet. These foods, which are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult’s diet and nearly 70 percent of children’s diets in the United States, are loaded with additives and novel ingredients that have never been encountered by human physiology.
From fizzy drinks to cereals, packaged snacks to processed meat, ultra-processed foods are packed with additives like oil, fat, sugar, starch, and sodium, as well as emulsifiers such as carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides, carboxymethylcellulose, polysorbate, and soy lecithin. These additives strip food of healthy nutrients while introducing other ingredients that could be detrimental to human health.
While obesity and lack of physical activity have been recognized as contributors to avoidable morbidity and mortality in the U.S., the unprecedented consumption of ultra-processed foods is emerging as an additional hazard in the standard American diet. Physicians from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine have explored this hypothesis and provided important insights to health care providers in a commentary published in The American Journal of Medicine.
Dawn H. Sherling, M.D., corresponding author and associate professor of medicine at FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, expressed concern about the decline in life expectancy in the U.S. and its lower life expectancy compared to other economically comparable countries. The increase in rates of non-communicable diseases in less developed nations appears to be associated with the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods in their diets.
Professional organizations such as the American College of Cardiology have cautioned patients to choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods in their 2021 dietary guidelines. However, there is no commonly accepted definition for ultra-processed foods, and some healthy foods may exist within this category.
It is evident that the consumption of ultra-processed foods poses a significant health risk, and health care professionals need to address this issue to combat the potential impact on public health.
