Why identifying ultra processed food matters for your health | Chris van Tulleken & Tim Spector

[@megvander2231]

I wish to thank Chris van Tulleken because I am eating fewer ultra processed foods and now my eternal stomach aches have ceased, it is amazing! Nothing has helped me as much as this as I had a life filled with pain .

[@mardjo595]

I cut down on ultra processed foods drastically for 7 or 8 months now. It is quite fascinating how my body changed. My skin is clearer, my sugar addiction is gone, my digestion system is working wonderfully. Finding out about UPFs helped me figure out that there's no 'miracle' supplement, drink, food, etc that will change your life. You have to do the hard work and cook from scratch. This is where companies get you - they know consumers want convenience.

[@lindahedley9049]

I gave up ultra processed food 5 months ago, and it cured my diverticulitis which was diagnosed 10 years ago. I’ve also lost 3 stone.

[@Sam501UK]

Just finished your book Chris, Ultra Processed People, it was fantastic. Hugely eye opening. Thankyou!

[@joek360]

He is proven to be a grifter, and illiterate in research and statistics.

[@zanna186]

As someone who has ibs and is severely lactose intolerant, I'm always reading the ingredient list on food products. I'm checking for any dairy (often labeled as whey protein or modified milk ingredients), any emulsifiers (especially any of the gums), and maltodextrin. My husband works for a company that supplies agricultural products to farmers, and maltodextrin is what they add to animal feed when the farmers want to quickly fatten the animals for slaughter. I'm also on the lookout for basically any ingredients that I wouldn't normally have in my own kitchen. If I see any of them the product goes back on the shelf.

[@michaelstreeter3125]

Basically, as soon as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Lidl or any large supermarket chain produce a *NEW brand,* similar to "Tesco's finest", "No .1", "Taste the Difference" etc. but called _"No UPF"_ people will start looking for the badge on products and that will be the beginning of the end for the UPF producers. Other supermarkets will have to follow the first to market. And if it really is associated with life expectancy then why would that be a Bad Thing?

[@aks7698]

I honestly believe it won't A lot of people just don't care and would rather pop another pill than change their diet.

[@xiv7477]

I share your optimism; the tide is turning, albeit slowly.

[@denisripley8699]

​@@xiv7477yes.. very slowly - very niche as far as rump of population. Difficult to beat industrial production as far as cost, longevity etc.

[@evanhadkins5532]

You're a good interviewer Jonathan.

[@EricaNernie]

I've given up UFPs and eat a low carb diet. Cook my meals from scratch. Impossible to eat out though, as restaurants all use vegetable seed oils. But i feel great (73 yrs, no meds, fasting insulin 5.2).

[@syc137]

For breakfast, I've just had rice + cod, tomato & leek stew and salad, and for pudding an apple and nuts. All home made or natural food. Simple and fresh, made the night before. I do batch cooking and do meal prep at the weekend. It's all thanks to Chris and Tim. Thank you so much Zoe.

[@doracsiky]

Sounds great! Now try intermittent fasting, that's going to take your health to the next level!

[@davidmorales8644]

I been staying away from this stuff since the mid 90's especially red meat hotdogs, bacon , cakes, ice cream, I've been the same weight 185 Lb since the 90s now until my fifties , is a shame that all this is coming to light now and how many people had to die.

[@JulAlxAU]

By definition, shopping at a supermarket means exposure to ultra-processed food. Perhaps the only way to escape from it is to make everything from scratch and in your kitchen, baking your own bread, making your own yogurt, etc. I don’t know how practical it is, especially in the fast-paced lifestyle most of us have in developed countries. I suppose the most sensible approach is to minimise the exposure rather than chasing a complete elimination.

[@andrewroberts8959]

This isn't really true. You can shop in a supermarket, but you will find yourself restricted to about 4 or 5 aisles. Bread you will need to get from a baker (althought some Tescos sell a german rye bread that is not UPF, but it is expensive and can't be used like normal bread). If you want decent fruit you may have to go to a green grocer. Avoiding UPF entirely is quite difficult because you don't know what is in the food at restaurants. But even then you can think about what is likely to have the fewest UPF ingredients.

[@suemsearch]

We’re also finding it difficult to eat out in restaurants now as most seem to provide processed foods instead of cooking from scratch with real, fresh ingredients. It’s especially difficult for children as virtually all restaurants have so-called ‘kids’ menus’ which only provide chips, burgers, chicken nuggets, pizza or pasta in the main. Why can’t kids be offered a smaller portions of what is on offer for adults? Kids should be fed the best ingredients, not the worst😢

[@andrewroberts8959]

I live in southeast asia. Most restaurants do not have a "kids menu", they just eat the same food as the adults because food is shared amongst everyone at the table. When you think about it, it is really weird to have a separate food for children. It is definitely a modern invention.

[@l.t.5535]

So right! Why are kids not offered good foods?

[@ma_iii]

Exactly!!

[@suemsearch]

@@andrewroberts8959 it’s American but it has come over here to the UK. It’s said to be a cheap way to feed children but, to my mind, it’s just a way of making more profit by using poor ingredients

[@BighouseSix]

3:53 “cheese is a processed food, oh queso”. lol. I love a good unintended multilingual pun.

[@tonyhughes1958able]

I aim to be 80%+ UPF's free but eating out it is not always possible and when on holiday like we are now I'm a little more relaxed about being perfect.

[@TheRahsoft]

pat yourself on your back. van tulkern has made the point that he is not going to tell you what to do, but encourage you to make informed choices for yourself.. I say you've already started

[@phunkymind23]

I look forward to the day when I will see cereals without cartoon characters, flashy labels, and bright colours replaced with a mark that shows they are ultra-processed. They've already taken measures like this in Chile; I would love to see the same applied here.

[@wendajones9040]

There’s also the problem that the list of ingredients is written in such tiny writing that you can’t even read it!

[@LeilaLamb]

Having eaten from scratch 90% of the time fo 18 months, if I go back to my UPF diet, I pay the price. Back pain, digestive discomfort, nausea. It’s just not worth it.

[@sheilahenderson5973]

Natural yoghurt checked, it's Yeo Valley it's fine, no added ingredients 👍

[@laurendamasoruiz]

If it’s impossible to make outside of an industrial factory then it’s UPF. Things like lard and butter etc CAN be made at home, if you were so inclined, so they’re not UPF

[@madraven07]

Chris, we need a trustworthy advisory group to get the message out to the population about the dangers of UPFs. The multinationals and bought out governments cannot be trusted.

[@joek360]

There are actual scientists researching these, many of his generalised claims are unfounded. Also, ZOE sells a UPF by his definition.

[@lisaquince710]

It makes me furious that all the yoghurts I can find are often 0% fat. I would prefer to have a smaller amount of the real thing than having a small amount of something full of crap- but it often feels like the supermarkets are making it hard to be able to spot the "actual" products among those trying too hard to pull us in or basically stock the 0% stuff. Recently going to the gym and paying more attention to protein intake it's one thing i've really noticed. It may be the supermarkets (ie more budget supermarkets due to student budgets) I go to resulting in the lack of product variety depsite the numerous options but I'm not sure. It feels like it takes me so long to shop now to make sure I'm picking up what I actually want (or lots of reading prep beforehand), and then more time in the shop means i'll be more prone to the consumer psychology tricks. No winning! :(

[@eauclaire07]

What do you think about the association of protein powders and the likes with various disease processes

[@cassieoz1702]

Unfortunately, 'not normally found in a domestic kitchen' has included lots of 'normal' whole foods for the last 40 years or so, as folks have lost their cooking inclination and skills.

[@GillStorey-kq9zn]

I have to follow a Gluten free diet & reading UPF book it has put me off eating or cooking any baked fiods which are gluten free because you are told xantham gum is the only way to make food tolerable without the gluten which is in wheat barley & rye. Suddenly I am losing weight for the first time in over 10 yrs. Woild be interesting to onow if my inflammation is also reducing.

[@pamlunn1707]

Same here. I went cold turkey on gluten free baked goods and lost over a stone in 6 months without even trying. This was combined with eating in a 10-hour window each day.

[@chirilily]

GF baked products are some of the worst UPF out there. Just look at the long list of ingredients of most GF “breads”! Best to avoid any dodgy substitute for the real thing, unfortunately…

[@blaze1148]

Much of what _ultra-processed_ refers to is not [just] the ingredients but the _processes_ by which the ingredients have been subjected to.

[@pamelaschweizer337]

I wish they would have discussed seed oils and how processed they are. People think "vegetable" oil is healthy. Also " natural flavors " are not natural additives. All flour products from the sore use rancid flour. Even if it's made from whole wheat. I buy organic when berries and mill my own flour for bread and all wheat products .

[@andrewroberts8959]

In his book he talks about the fact that absolutely any flavouring is a sign that something is UPF. As for seed oils, they are highly refined, and any highly refined food is bad for you. While they are unhealthy, on their own they don't have as strong an association with ill health that UPF does. UPF will usually include a whlle bunch of highly refined ingredients plus novel chemicals (such as emulsifiers) and flavourings. Palm oil is included in loads of UPF and it is worse for you than seed oil.

[@greenknitter]

@@andrewroberts8959 Cold pressed virgin seed oils are fine, and some have good health properties. At least the ones available here in the EU like my local rapeseed oil.

[@DerekNewtonKeswick]

I watched a doc on the nuclear bomb project. In one test they got the yield calculation wrong as they didn’t realise the mix inside the bomb created a more combustible formula (something like that 😂) Have we ever studied how different, seemingly safe, products mix in our guts (and of course each gut is different) and what reactions this may cause? E.G. one person could eat HP sauce with chips and sausage, and they would be fine. While someone else could mix those things (some of which are ultra-processed of course)with their microbes and it creates inflammation.

[@andystevenson8383]

I'd be intrigued to hear what Tim generally eats for each meal. Super food salads? Oats and pulses? Homemade smoothies? A banana?

[@andrewroberts8959]

Smoothies aren't really good for you, so i doubt he drinks many. Chris has a whole chapter in his book called "pre-chewed". Generally it is better for us to chew our food and break it down through digestion than it is to have a blender do it for us. Same reason steak is better than minced beef.

[@raphamata1584]

What about natural fermented bread?

[@johnwelsh1606]

It's a wonder any of us are still alive!

[@johnfletcher9907]

Could you do a video on drinks please! Not booze, not kombucha, just day to day drink. I drink alot of squash, mostly from concentrate, and although I’m sure water would be better Im keen to understand how bad squash is, and what better alternatives are available!

[@xiv7477]

A lot of concentrates have artificial sweeteners; start by Google searching 'Aspartame' and 'carcinogens', and enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole : )

[@andrewroberts8959]

It's bad. Liquid calories are bad and orange juice is basically UPF and basically similar to a can of coke (Tim Spector is very anti store bought orange juice). Even freshly squeezed homemade orange juice will give you insulin spikes so should only be consumed as a treat. It's funny you mention alcohol because frankly cask ale or wine is probably healthier than any form of store bought juice or squash. Soft drinks you can drink are: water, tea (or other infusion) and coffee. You can also try kefir.

[@aks7698]

The only thing I've found with health claims on the packaging that aren't ultra-processed are packs of nuts in Lidl.

[@jeremywvarietyofviewpoints3104]

So what products are in a normal kitchen?

[@helgamarieleamartin618]

meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, oats, flour, yeast, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, nuts, honey/sugar, salt, oil, spices, and more. If you have these and clean water you do not need to buy anything in a packet with a list of ingredients

[@nick27wales]

This is all great stuff, which myself and my family adhere to pretty much all the time, but I think you are mainly ‘preaching to the converted’ . . . So how do we get this message to the unconverted ?

[@jonathonpotts5666]

I'm pretty sure I know what upf is, and I'm pretty sure I largely avoid it. I always read ingredients lists.

[@peter5.056]

Just buy ingredients, and learn to cook.

[@jonathonpotts5666]

@peter5.056 That's what I do. However, a jar of passata that should just be tomatoes can often contain sugar.

[@peter5.056]

@@jonathonpotts5666 A little added sugar isn't a problem. Just don't overdo it.

[@jonathonpotts5666]

@peter5.056 I don't stand for any added sugar unless it's dark chocolate.

[@peter5.056]

@@jonathonpotts5666 A little added sugar isn't a problem, but watch out for excess fat in that chocolate. High fat foods are a great way to clog up your arteries and induce insulin resistance.

[@peter5.056]

What I eat in a day, avoiding all (ALL!) ultraprocessed foods: bread - made in my bread machine - whole wheat flour, yeast, water, salt. (5 minutes of time needed) lentils - cooked in water with onions and garlic, pepper and salt (30 minutes) kale - steamed lightly and served with lemon, crushed garlic, and black pepper (30 minutes, while the lentils cook) sweet potatoes - baked in my countertop oven/air fryer (1 minute needed to put them baking) tomato sauce - made from tinned tomato paste, onion, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic, olive oil optional, fresh roma tomatoes (30 minutes) pasta - whole wheat made fresh, dough mixed in my bread machine (30 minutes from start to finish) oranges - fresh frozen berries All that cooking required about 40 minutes of my time total, roughly the same time commitment to buy ultraprocessed foods. The main thing I make sure of, is my pantry is FULLY stocked with ingredients, so I always have everything I need to cook meals from scratch. I buy in bulk to save money. I tend to choose quick-cooking foods to save time, and over time I bought appliances to help me move faster in the kitchen. I also try to cook at least two days worth of food at one time, so I'm not needing to cook every day.

[@blaze1148]

....if you do not eat meat you will suffer long term metabolic dysfunction my friend.

[@peter5.056]

@@blaze1148 That's simply not true.

[@blaze1148]

@@peter5.056 There are countless testimonies of vegans/vegetarians having many metabolic and gut problems including IBS - but when they went on a carnivore diet these symptoms miraculously disappeared....go figure. .....we are all entitled to opinions of course my friend...mine just happens to be correct.

[@peter5.056]

@@blaze1148 All those problems are caused by ultraprocessed foods and excess fat, not the lack of animal foods.

[@blaze1148]

@@peter5.056 ....did you actually read what I said and understood it^^....

[@brucejensen3081]

My supermarket bread has vitamins in it, don't know why. Everything else seems fine. It does have iodised salt, but that has to be fine, doesn't it?

[@helenjowett7879]

Bread is one of the products that doesn't have to list all of the ingredients. Find out about the super fast way bread is made in the Chorleywood process and you'll realise that supermarket bread isn't good. I feel ill if I have to eat it for a few days. Lots of people who think that they are wheat intolerant are probably bread intolerant like me!

[@brucejensen3081]

@@helenjowett7879 it's sourdough rye (made over 40hrs) and seems better than what the closest bakeries do.

[@ProfessorPesca]

I believe that by law all non-wholewheat bread and flour in the UK has to be fortified with vitamins and minerals so you’ll not find any white bread that doesn’t have them added.

[@Kwippy]

The most annoying thing is that the definition of ultra-processed food, as given in this video, just isn't precise at all. "Unfamiliar ingredient"? Some people are familiar with and understand MSG for example, and some people aren't. So are all foods containing MSG ultra-processed? What about citric acid? fructose? potassium chloride? Not all food additives are equal, many are perfectly natural compounds found widely in nature. Without a tighter definition of ultra-processed food, the whole thing has more than a whiff of pseudoscience about it.

[@Margo714P]

Many people have canola oil in their cupboards. Does that make it okay in processed foods?

[@peter5.056]

Canola oil is in and of itself an ultraprocessed ingredient.

[@sentinel2199]

After reading Chris van Tulleken's book, I had decided to not worry about 'vegetable' oil because you find it in the kitchen (and it's really hard to avoid)... But it turns out I was very wrong. Vegetable oils are one of (if not the) the worst ingredients in UPF, with fairly clear science showing they cause significant obesity, very probably cause heart disease & diabetes, and probably cause a wide range of cancers, macular degeneration, quite possibly alzheimers & many more. See Chris Knobbe's book The Ancestral Diet Revolution for details, although there are some KZbin videos of presentations he has done which got me interested in the first place.

[@janeravesi4326]

Why don't you ever mention Australia???

[@evanhadkins5532]

Zoe is only active in the UK and US at the moment (bigger markets?).

[@janeravesi4326]

@evanhadkins5532 I am aware of this. I mean when they talk about UPF's and other issues they only mention problems in UK and USA. We are suffering here too! Dr Michael Mosely loved Australia and visited often. I saw him speak twice, he also made a tv series here..

[@evanhadkins5532]

@@janeravesi4326 thanks. I had no idea Michael Mosley had made a tv series here.

[@brucejensen3081]

So fortified foods are ultra processed

[@garronfish8227]

This is an unscientific categorization. You should state that the science is too difficult to do or we just don't know about every additive. Saying that I have reduced my processed food and feel better.

[@tamaraboice8325]

Tofu?

[@brucejensen3081]

Uk lasagne, must be ultra processed, I don't have horse meat in my kitchen, ever.

[@TheRahsoft]

ive read most of van tulleken book( only 13 pages left to read). its heavy and it can at time be depressing to read what is going on. Mostly a good book apart from the dip into identity politics( race etc) and citing the "guardian" which is not a source for intregity in reporting. yes the companies making UPF are responsible, but in turn it more the investors blackrock, vanguard and fidelity.. remember these are the same "investors" who are pushing corporations into ESG which includes DEI and other meritless tactics. so the people that you many think are doing great "social activistism" are also pushing the stuff that eventually kills you or reduces your quality of life.. think about that if you champion your "social justice"

[@dodgeball693]

Ummm just because butter and cheese are not ultra processed and have been consumed for thousands of years does NOT make them healthy!

[@poppypops1987]

Literally another hype like all hypes before and making money of people being scared. We are doomed !!!

[@olivierwhite2451]

A good kids movie is something adults like to see as well. It has elements for kids and even jokes only parents will understand. I feel like this episode was very much catered to kids. A lot of information that is catered to people that have absolutely no clue about anything, using the kitchen ingredient argument endlessly. Maybe mix is a bit a deeper knowledge instead of floating on the surface.

[@Withpeace7597]

This is the second time I've seen Spector push dairy/cheese. He's totally wrong on that. Most of the dairy that people eat is ultraprocessed. If you're going to be drinking RAW milk, MAYBE that will be ok. but by and large, no, you should not be eating it. dairy butter is mentioned - fine - but not if it's being made from ultraprocessed milk!!!!

[@JorjaFox66]

What a bunch of ridiculous meat & dairy propaganda 🙄 couldn’t watch anymore 7:09

[@kbalbo725]

Cheese is 70% fat. That can’t be good for you!!!! Plus it has an additive that makes it addicting.

[@gogreengameon2146]

Do you eat the whole block in one sitting?

[@blaze1148]

I would rather eat _full fat_ cheese that _low fat_ cheese.....the same goes for sugar..... _no sugar_ in the ingredients means just that but is replaced with something far worse.....maltodextrin.

[@kbalbo725]

@gogreengameon2146 No, but I definitely lost over 40 lbs by reducing, almost eliminating the cheese. From size 16 to size 10 in less than a year and no exercise. Must have been the fat in the cheese.

[@blaze1148]

@@kbalbo725 I eat tons of cheese all the time but I am very active [Ultra-cyclist] plus I fast at least one day a week. Just eliminating cheese from your diet would not make you lose 40 lbs....there must of been far more drastic changes to your lifestyle than just cutting out cheese. ......btw did you know the main constituent of cell walls is cholesterol....

[@evanhadkins5532]

There are different things. Fat, calories, ferments (cheese and yoghurt are different to milk and cream).