Read [this article](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/07/01/health/worst-ultraprocessed-food-early-death-wellness) and though I’m scientifically literate and understand how scientific research can be overdramatized by the media, I’m worried. How I avoid ultra processed food, it is apparently everything. Ugh
In: Biology
The below is based on the NOVA classification system. The level of processing simply says what happens to our foods after they are “separated from nature, and before they are consumed”.
The four groups are:
>**GROUP 1. UNPROCESSED (NATURAL) FOODS** — Obtained directly from plants or animals and are not different from how they’re found in nature.
>>Ex: fruits, vegetables, nuts
and
>**GROUP 1. MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOODS** — processes that may take away part of the food, but you still wouldn’t add anything (oils, salts etc) to it.
>>Ex: removing inedible parts, drying, fermentation
>**GROUP 2: OILS, FATS, SALT, AND SUGAR** — products taken from natural foods or from nature by processes such as pressing, crushing, and refining to season and cook.
>>Ex: Sunflower oil, honey, butter, coconut fat
>**GROUP 3: PROCESSED FOODS** — products manufactured by industry with use of foods from group 2, or added to group 1 to preserve or make more edible.
>>Ex: pickled vegetables, tomato paste, bacon, salted nuts.
Now this is what you’re asking about, OP:
>**GROUP 4: ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS** — are industrial formulations, or produced in laboratories to be kind of addictive to the reward system of our brains.
>>Ex: fatty, salty, savory, sweet snacks, ice cream, chocolate, carbonated soft drinks
So, again, the more happens to our food before we eat it, the more that food is thought to be processed. As we see, just adding salt makes something go from Group 1, to Group 2.
To oversimplify: the less manipulated, the lower the group, the healthier the food.
**Adapted from the following four-page reference sheet:**
https://ecuphysicians.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/78/2021/07/NOVA-Classification-Reference-Sheet.pdf
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