Ultraprocessed foods are not poison
As any pharmacologist or toxicologist will tell you, the dose makes the poison. Most rice contains arsenic. Baked goods contain acrylamide. Seafood contains methylmercury. Natural groundwater contains fluoride. But in moderation, none of those things are toxic.
Thanks to RFK Jr, there’s been a lot of silly nattering about the alleged dangers of ultraprocessed foods. But there’s no evidence that, consumed in moderation, ultraprocessed foods are either dangerous or toxic. In fact, they could even promote good health.
“In the third and longest ad libitum trial, individuals with overweight or obesity in the UK consumed either a UPF-rich or a non-UPF diet, with both diets adhering to national dietary guidelines on nutritional adequacy and healthfulness. Contrary to the other two trials, the UPF-rich diet reduced energy intake and promoted modest weight loss (0.9 kg) relative to baseline. These results suggest that a UPF-rich diet designed according to established dietary principles that emphasize nutritional quality rather than processing methods may reduce energy intake relative to habitual intake, decrease body weight, and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the non-UPF diet remained the most beneficial approach, causing greater reductions in energy intake and body weight (1.8 kg).”
*snip*
“Although the UPF concept encompasses many—albeit not all—foods that are unhealthy, it also captures foods that are not necessarily harmful and even some that are beneficial to health. Moreover, available data from randomized controlled trials indicate that the “ultraprocessed food” label places undue emphasis on the processing methods of food. Therefore, the current evidence base suggests that policy guidance should distinguish nutritionally poor, calorie-dense, and rapidly consumed foods regardless of their degree of processing.”
So just eat a balanced diet and ignore the hyperventilating about UPFs.
The dose makes the poison for UPFs
Thanks to RFK Jr, there’s been a lot of silly nattering about the alleged dangers of ultraprocessed foods. But there’s no evidence that, consumed in moderation, ultraprocessed foods are either dangerous or toxic. In fact, they could even promote good health.
“In the third and longest ad libitum trial, individuals with overweight or obesity in the UK consumed either a UPF-rich or a non-UPF diet, with both diets adhering to national dietary guidelines on nutritional adequacy and healthfulness. Contrary to the other two trials, the UPF-rich diet reduced energy intake and promoted modest weight loss (0.9 kg) relative to baseline. These results suggest that a UPF-rich diet designed according to established dietary principles that emphasize nutritional quality rather than processing methods may reduce energy intake relative to habitual intake, decrease body weight, and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the non-UPF diet remained the most beneficial approach, causing greater reductions in energy intake and body weight (1.8 kg).”
*snip*
“Although the UPF concept encompasses many—albeit not all—foods that are unhealthy, it also captures foods that are not necessarily harmful and even some that are beneficial to health. Moreover, available data from randomized controlled trials indicate that the “ultraprocessed food” label places undue emphasis on the processing methods of food. Therefore, the current evidence base suggests that policy guidance should distinguish nutritionally poor, calorie-dense, and rapidly consumed foods regardless of their degree of processing.”
So just eat a balanced diet and ignore the hyperventilating about UPFs.
The dose makes the poison for UPFs