Ultra-processed foods are everywhere. Here’s how to avoid them
June 20, 202312:10 AM ET
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英文文稿
Hey, everybody. It’s Marielle. Next time you’re at the supermarket, pick up some packaged foods and look over the ingredient list. You’ll start to notice a lot of the same things – high levels of salt and fat.
MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: Added sugars, added colorings, added flavorings, hydrolyzed protein isolates, high fructose corn syrup, bulking agents like maltodextrin, for instance. These are all sort of the types of ingredients you’d see in an ultra-processed food – carrageenan, you know, those kinds of things.
SEGARRA: That’s Maria Godoy, a health correspondent at NPR. She’s been reporting on the health effects of ultra-processed, industrially made foods.
GODOY: These are foods that are made with ingredients derived from foods, and then you reassemble them to create a product that’s tasty, cheap, convenient and shelf stable, which means they last a long time.
SEGARRA: And as you may have noticed, they’re also hard to resist. So we tend to overeat them. Most of what we eat in America today is ultra-processed.
GODOY: There was a recent study that put it at 73% of the U.S. food supply is ultra processed. There’s other research suggesting it’s 57% of what most adults eat, and it’s, like, 67% of what kids eat. So it really is everywhere.
SEGARRA: On this episode of LIFE KIT, we talk about how to recognize ultra-processed foods, why you might want to eat less of them and how to actually do that.
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SEGARRA: OK. So if you’re at the grocery store and you’re trying to figure out, like, does this “food item” – in quotation marks – fall into the category of ultra processed, what should you look for?
GODOY: Look at the ingredient list. That’s something that I do all the time now since I started this reporting. Reading the ingredient list is the most important thing to do. And you can ignore the health claims on packages because a lot of packaged foods will say something like, oh, it’s good for you or high in this or that. But it’s the ingredient list you really have to pay attention to. And so if you see a long list of ingredients and it includes items you really don’t recognize – you wouldn’t find them in your home kitchen – That’s usually a telltale sign that that’s an ultra-processed food.
SEGARRA: OK. What does the research tell us about the health risks of these kinds of ultra-processed foods?
GODOY: There is a lot of research linking overconsumption of ultra-processed foods to poor health outcomes. So they see an increased risk of things like Type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dying from cardiovascular disease. In fact, there’s research showing that eating too much ultra-processed foods increases your risk of dying prematurely from all causes. And the evidence is pretty strong and consistent for all of those risks.
SEGARRA: Do they know the reason?
GODOY: That’s a good question. And one of the reasons is obvious – that these foods tend to have a lot of added salt, sugar and fat. But there are some concerns that maybe there’s something more. And, like, what is driving us to overeat them? Like, there’s a researcher named Kevin Hall at NIH who did this really fascinating landmark study back in 2019 where he recruited 20 healthy adults to live full time at NIH for a month. And then he randomly assigned them to either eat an ultra-processed food diet for two weeks or a minimally processed diet for two weeks. And then after the end of the two-week period, he switched them. And he actually didn’t expect to see much of a difference because the diets were matched for all the major nutrients, like salt, sugar, fat, fiber, protein, essentially. People were offered way more food than they needed to maintain their weight, and they were told they could eat as much or as little as they wanted.
But what actually happened was that when they were on the ultra-processed diet, they actually gained 2 pounds on average, and they ate an average of 500 calories more a day. And then when they went on the unprocessed diet, they lost weight and ate less. So it’s unclear if it’s something about the processing itself that is driving some of these health outcomes, certainly the overeating outcome. A lot of researchers I spoke with say there’s a signal there that needs to be explored. But certainly, we do know – we have hard evidence that too much salt, sugar and fat is not good for our health. So for that reason alone, it’s worth cutting back.
SEGARRA: OK. So if you do want to cut back on the amount of ultra-processed foods that you’re eating, I mean, where do you start? Because it seems like if it’s such a big part of the food supply, you’re not going to avoid it entirely, most likely. Do we know if some ultra-processed foods are better or worse than others?
GODOY: Well, OK. Too much salt, sugar and fat is no good for you, like, regardless of whether it’s ultra processed, or you made it in your home kitchen, right? So that’s one thing. But when we’re talking about packaged foods, there is some evidence, like, they’re not all equally bad for you. For instance, I spoke with a researcher whose evidence has found that women who ate ultra-processed yogurt – so it was technically ultra processed because it had added sugars – it was linked to a lower risk of colon cancer. So, I mean, that’s interesting.
And also, you know, a lot of researchers I spoke with say, like, you don’t want to vilify things like packaged breads. Now, most packaged breads are technically ultra processed, but if you’re looking at a whole grain bread and buy whole grain, I mean, like, that should be, like, the top ingredient. They tend to be a good source of dietary fiber for a lot of people, and most Americans don’t get enough dietary fiber. And so they say, like, you don’t want to steer people away from eating whole grain breads like that. And it’s certainly a better choice than white. But you want to look at the ingredient list always, I think. And even if it’s ultra processed, look for things that are lower in sugar and then have some protein, that have fiber, maybe have no added sugars. So it’s like a balancing act. Like, those things still matter regardless of the level of processing.
SEGARRA: Right. Yeah, it seems like some of those ingredients that you mentioned, particularly sugar, hides in most packaged foods. They’ll just add it no matter what.
GODOY: Right.
SEGARRA: Even if you’re like, this doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that needs sugar in it, but…
GODOY: No, that’s such a good point. Yeah. Once you start reading ingredient lists, you’re like, wait. What’s that doing in that? Like, I went shopping a couple of weeks ago with a researcher, and I picked up a package of tortilla. And it had sugar as, like, the third ingredient. It’s tortilla chips. I’m like, why do you need sugar in tortilla chips? It really is in a lot of places in salt, too. We get too much salt in our diet. Most Americans do. And that’s because it’s used in a lot of ultra-processed foods. And packaged breads are actually a known offender here. Like, there’s a lot of sodium hiding in there. So you want to check that nutrition panel, as well.
SEGARRA: What if there are some ultra-processed foods that you just really enjoy? You know, you love your tortilla chips or whatever. Are there healthier alternatives?
GODOY: Yeah. I mean, for instance, if you like salty, crunchy snacks, which, you know, are really kind of what beckon to me around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, think about nuts, which are a good source of protein and fiber and healthy fats. And, you know, if they’re salted, at least you’re getting some good value for them, right? Nuts are part of a balanced, nutritious diet. Or if you love breakfast cereals – a lot of people do – instead of something that’s really sugary and has a lot of added colorings, you know, look for something that has some protein and fiber and fewer ingredients. You can still make healthy choices in this category. Or yogurts – yogurts have nutritional value. But look for something with low or no added sugar. And maybe instead of having sugar, you just throw some berries in there to sweeten it. There are ways to make healthier choices, even if that yogurt comes in a package. Or if you just can’t stomach unsweetened yogurt, at least look for something that’s, like, high protein, like a Greek option. And again, fewer ingredients, the better.
SEGARRA: Yeah. It seems like one thing that people do instead of, for instance, buying a salad dressing that’s already totally mixed and made, is to make their own at home, get the ingredients. Maybe it’s, like, olive oil and vinegar, and then you add as much salt as you want. Or you can also make a creamier salad dressing, but just make it on your own.
GODOY: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, most researchers will tell you, yeah, cooking more from scratch is going to be a better option. Not everybody has the time or means to do that. But yes, if you could, that is something we could all do more of. And you don’t have to cook every day. Cook once and eat several times. Just make a double batch or triple batch, and you can eat something throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be that onerous. I’m big on leftovers at my house. But the other thing is just focus on things that you know you should be eating more of, like fruits and vegetables. And it doesn’t have to be super expensive because, for instance, frozen fruit and vegetables – there’s a lot of research showing that it’s just as nutritious, as fresh. And it’s often a lot cheaper and has the added bonus that once you just use what you need and then put the rest back in the freezer, right? You’re good to go again.
SEGARRA: Are there ways to take items that are packaged or canned or processed in some way and make them a bit healthier, to alter them in some way to get rid of some of the additives?
GODOY: Yes, for some items. For instance, if you’re buying canned beans and they have added sodium, really easy trick is to dump those beans into a colander and then let them drain for two minutes. Then you rinse them out with running tap water for 10 seconds. and then let them drain for another two minutes. And that can get rid of a whole lot of the excess sodium. But, like, if you’re talking about a packaged food, those long lists of ingredients are baked in. So you can’t really take that food and make it not ultra processed. But what you can do is make better choices. Processing of foods exists on a spectrum, so you can look for sort of less processed options. There’s actually a really cool database that researchers at Northeastern created. It’s called truefood.tech. And you can look up a lot of food brands, and it’ll tell you how processed it is. They created this, like, zero, which is not processed, to 100 scale, which is very ultra processed, for foods. And so you look up your brand, and it’ll tell you if your tortillas are a 1 or, like, a 94 on the spectrum. So it will also suggest less processed alternatives. So that is one thing you can do. And that’s a prototype, but it’s kind of fun to play with, and it’s sort of eye opening.
SEGARRA: Oh, my God. I’m excited to look at it. But I also shudder to think. I feel like it’s – you could do that and be like, oh, my God, everything I eat is ultra processed. Like…
GODOY: (Laughter). I mean, you know, you don’t have to be perfect. Just be conscious of what you’re eating and aim to fill your diet mostly with fruits and vegetables and lean meats and dairy. Like, that should be the basis of your healthy diet. And then try to eat things that are packaged less frequently. But some of the best advice I got was from Christopher Gardner. He’s a nutrition researcher at Stanford University. And he says he likes to embrace the philosophy of one of his favorite chefs, which he calls the 80/20 rule. And basically the idea is 80% of the time, try to make thoughtful choices and pay attention to what you eat, but 20% of the time, just go off the rails because food is joy. Food is an important part of life. And you shouldn’t just, like, deprive yourself altogether. But you don’t have to be perfect, you know?
SEGARRA: Yeah. Get a little wild 20% of the time.
GODOY: Yeah, exactly. Food gone wild. So, you know, eat your salad. Eat your fish. And then if you really want that, like, stabilizer-laden ice cream for dessert, go for it. But just maybe not every night.
SEGARRA: Thank you so much, Maria. These tips are great.
GODOY: Oh, it’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
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SEGARRA: For more LIFE KIT, check out our other episodes. We have one on how to meal prep and another on how to stop wasting so much food. You can find those at npr.org/lifekit. And if you love LIFE KIT and want even more, subscribe to our newsletter at npr.org/lifekitnewsletter. Also, have you signed up for LIFE KIT+ yet? Becoming a subscriber to LIFE KIT+ means you’re supporting the work we do here at NPR. Subscribers also get to listen to the show without any sponsor breaks. To find out more, head over to plus.npr.org/lifekit. And to everyone who’s already subscribed, thank you.
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SEGARRA: This episode of LIFE KIT was produced by Thomas Lu. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan. And our visual producer is Kaz Fantone. Our digital editors are Malaka Gharib and Danielle Nett. Meghan Keane is the supervising editor. And Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andee Tagle, Audrey Nguyen, Clare Marie Schneider, Margaret Cirino and Sylvie Douglis. Engineering support comes from Josh Newell, Stu Rushfield and Stacey Abbott. I’m Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening.
机翻
嘿，大家。是玛丽埃尔。下次你去超市时，买一些包装食品并查看成分表。你会开始注意到很多相同的事情——高含量的盐和脂肪。
玛丽亚·戈多伊连线：例如，添加糖、添加色素、添加调味剂、水解分离蛋白、高果糖玉米糖浆、麦芽糖糊精等填充剂。这些都是你在超加工食品中看到的各种成分——角叉菜胶，你知道的，诸如此类的东西。
SEGARRA：这是玛丽亚·戈多伊 (Maria Godoy)，NPR 的健康记者。她一直在报道超加工工业生产食品对健康的影响。
GODOY：这些食品是用食品中的成分制成的，然后将它们重新组装起来，创造出美味、便宜、方便且货架稳定的产品，这意味着它们可以保存很长时间。
SEGARRA：正如您可能已经注意到的那样，它们也很难抗拒。所以我们往往会吃得过多。今天我们在美国吃的大部分食物都是经过超加工的。
戈多伊：最近的一项研究表明，美国 73% 的食品供应经过超加工。还有其他研究表明，大多数成年人吃的食物中，有 57% 是它，而孩子们吃的食物中，有 67% 是它。所以它确实无处不在。
SEGARRA：在这一集的 LIFE KIT 中，我们讨论如何识别超加工食品、为什么您可能想少吃它们以及如何实际做到这一点。
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塞加拉：好的。因此，如果您在杂货店，想要弄清楚这种带引号的“食品”是否属于超加工类别，那么您应该寻找什么？
戈多伊：看看成分表。自从我开始做这份报告以来，这就是我一直在做的事情。阅读成分表是最重要的事情。你可以忽略包装上的健康声明，因为很多包装食品都会说，哦，它对你有好处，或者这个或那个含量很高。但你真正需要注意的是成分表。因此，如果您看到一长串配料表，其中包括您真正不认识的物品（您在家庭厨房中找不到它们），这通常表明这是一种超加工食品。
塞加拉：好的。关于此类超加工食品的健康风险，研究告诉我们什么？
戈多伊：有很多研究将过度消费超加工食品与不良健康结果联系起来。因此，他们发现 2 型糖尿病、肥胖、高血压、死于心血管疾病等疾病的风险增加。事实上，有研究表明，吃太多超加工食品会增加因各种原因过早死亡的风险。对于所有这些风险，证据都非常有力且一致。
SEGARRA：他们知道原因吗？
戈多伊：这是个好问题。原因之一是显而易见的——这些食物往往添加了大量的盐、糖和脂肪。但有人担心也许还有更多的事情。是什么促使我们吃得过多？例如，NIH 的一位名叫 Kevin Hall 的研究人员在 2019 年进行了一项非常有趣的里程碑式研究，他招募了 20 名健康成年人在 NIH 全职生活一个月。然后他随机分配他们要么吃两周的超加工食品，要么吃两周的最低加工食品。然后在两周时间结束后，他改变了它们。事实上，他并没有期望看到太大的差异，因为饮食基本上与所有主要营养素相匹配，如盐、糖、脂肪、纤维、蛋白质。
但实际发生的情况是，当他们采用超加工饮食时，他们实际上平均增加了 2 磅，并且平均每天多摄入 500 卡路里热量。然后，当他们采用未经加工的饮食时，他们的体重减轻了，吃得也少了。因此，目前还不清楚是否是加工过程本身导致了这些健康结果，当然是暴饮暴食的结果。我采访过的很多研究人员都表示，其中存在一个需要探索的信号。但我们确实知道——我们有确凿的证据表明过多的盐、糖和脂肪对我们的健康不利。因此，仅出于这个原因，就值得削减。
塞加拉：好的。所以，如果你确实想减少超加工食品的摄入量，我的意思是，你从哪里开始呢？因为看起来如果它在食物供应中占如此大的一部分，你很可能无法完全避免它。我们是否知道某些超加工食品是否比其他食品更好或更差？
戈多伊：嗯，好的。太多的盐、糖和脂肪对你没有好处，不管它是经过超加工的，还是你在家里的厨房里做的，对吧？所以这是一回事。但当我们谈论包装食品时，有一些证据表明，它们对您的危害并不相同。例如，我与一位研究人员交谈，他的证据发现，食用超加工酸奶的女性——从技术上讲，它是超加工的，因为它添加了糖——与降低患结肠癌的风险有关。所以，我的意思是，这很有趣。
而且，你知道，我采访过的很多研究人员都说，你不想诽谤包装面包之类的东西。现在，大多数包装面包在技术上都经过了超加工，但如果您正在考虑全麦面包并购买全麦面包，我的意思是，那应该是顶级成分。对于很多人来说，它们往往是膳食纤维的良好来源，而大多数美国人没有摄入足够的膳食纤维。所以他们说，你不想引导人们不吃这样的全麦面包。它肯定是比白色更好的选择。但我想你总是想看看成分表。即使是经过超加工的，也要寻找含糖量较低、含有一些蛋白质、纤维、可能不添加糖的食物。所以这就像一种平衡行为。喜欢，
塞加拉：对。是的，似乎你提到的一些成分，特别是糖，隐藏在大多数包装食品中。无论如何，他们都会添加它。
戈多伊：是的。
SEGARRA：即使你觉得这看起来不像是需要加糖的东西，但是……
戈多伊：不，这是一个很好的观点。是的。一旦你开始阅读成分列表，你就会想，等等。那里面是做什么的？就像，几周前我和一位研究人员去购物，我买了一包玉米饼。它含有糖作为第三种成分。这是玉米片。我想，为什么玉米片里需要加糖？它确实也存在于盐的很多地方。我们的饮食中摄入了过多的盐。大多数美国人都这样做。这是因为它被用于许多超加工食品中。包装面包实际上是这里众所周知的罪魁祸首。就像，里面藏着很多钠。所以你也想检查一下营养成分表。
SEGARRA：如果有一些您真正喜欢的超加工食品怎么办？你知道，你喜欢玉米片或其他什么。有更健康的替代品吗？
戈多伊：是的。我的意思是，例如，如果你喜欢咸味、脆脆的零食，你知道，这确实是下午 3 点左右吸引我的东西，那么可以考虑一下坚果，它们是蛋白质和纤维的良好来源，健康的脂肪。而且，你知道，如果它们是加盐的，至少你会得到一些很好的价值，对吧？坚果是均衡营养饮食的一部分。或者，如果你喜欢早餐麦片——很多人都喜欢——而不是那些真正含糖且添加了很多色素的东西，你知道，寻找一些含有一些蛋白质和纤维以及较少成分的东西。您仍然可以在此类别中做出健康的选择。或者酸奶——酸奶有营养价值。但要寻找低糖或不添加糖的食物。也许你不用加糖，而是在里面放一些浆果来让它变甜。即使酸奶是包装形式的，也有一些方法可以做出更健康的选择。或者，如果您无法忍受不加糖的酸奶，至少寻找一些高蛋白的酸奶，例如希腊酸奶。再说一次，成分越少越好。
塞加拉：是的。例如，人们所做的一件事似乎不是购买已经完全混合和制作的沙拉酱，而是在家自己制作，获取原料。也许是橄榄油和醋，然后你想加多少盐就加多少。或者你也可以制作奶油味的沙拉酱，但只需自己制作即可。
戈多伊：是的，绝对是。我的意思是，大多数研究人员会告诉你，是的，从头开始烹饪更多将是一个更好的选择。并不是每个人都有时间或手段这样做。但是，是的，如果可以的话，我们都可以做得更多。而且你不必每天做饭。煮一次，吃几次。只要做两批或三批，你就可以在一周内吃点东西。它不必那么繁重。我家很喜欢吃剩菜。但另一件事是专注于你知道应该多吃的东西，比如水果和蔬菜。而且它不一定非常昂贵，因为例如冷冻水果和蔬菜 – 有大量研究表明它同样营养丰富，同样新鲜。而且它通常便宜很多，而且还有一个额外的好处，就是一旦你只使用你需要的东西，然后把剩下的放回冰箱，对吗？你能再去就好了。
SEGARRA：有没有办法让包装、罐装或以某种方式加工的物品变得更健康，以某种方式改变它们以去除一些添加剂？
戈多伊：是的，对于某些项目。例如，如果您购买罐装豆子并且它们添加了钠，那么真正简单的技巧是将这些豆子倒入漏勺中，然后让它们沥干两分钟。然后用自来水冲洗 10 秒钟。然后让它们再沥干两分钟。这可以消除大量多余的钠。但是，就像，如果你谈论的是包装食品，那么一长串的成分都是经过烘烤的。所以你不能真正服用该食品并使其不经过超加工。但你能做的就是做出更好的选择。食品的加工范围很广，因此您可以寻找加工程度较低的选择。实际上，东北大学的研究人员创建了一个非常酷的数据库。它的名字叫 truefood.tech。而且你可以查很多食品品牌，它会告诉你它是如何处理的。他们为食品创造了这样的规模，比如从零（未加工）到 100（经过高度加工）的规模。因此，您查找您的品牌，它会告诉您您的玉米饼在频谱上是否为 1 或 94。因此，它也会建议加工程度较低的替代品。所以这是你可以做的一件事。这只是一个原型，但玩起来很有趣，而且让人大开眼界。
塞加拉：哦，天啊。我很高兴看到它。但我一想起来也不寒而栗。我觉得——你可以这样做，然后说，哦，天哪，我吃的所有东西都是经过超加工的。喜欢…
戈多伊：（笑声）。我的意思是，你知道，你不必完美。只要注意自己吃的东西，并以水果、蔬菜、瘦肉和奶制品为主即可。就像，这应该是您健康饮食的基础。然后尽量少吃包装的东西。但我得到的一些最好的建议来自克里斯托弗·加德纳。他是斯坦福大学的营养研究员。他说他喜欢接受他最喜欢的一位厨师的哲学，他称之为 80/20 规则。基本上，80% 的情况下，尝试做出深思熟虑的选择并注意吃什么，但 20% 的情况下，只是偏离轨道，因为食物是快乐。食物是生活的重要组成部分。而且你不应该完全剥夺自己的权利。但你不必完美，
塞加拉：是的。20%的时间变得有点狂野。
戈多伊：是的，确实如此。食物变得疯狂。所以，你知道，吃你的沙拉。吃你的鱼。然后，如果你真的想要这样的东西，比如富含稳定剂的冰淇淋作为甜点，那就去吧。但也许不是每晚都如此。
SEGARRA：非常感谢你，玛丽亚。这些技巧很棒。
戈多伊：哦，这是我的荣幸。感谢您的款待。
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SEGARRA：如需了解更多 LIFE KIT，请查看我们的其他剧集。我们有一个关于如何准备膳食的课程，另一个关于如何停止浪费太多食物的课程。您可以在 npr.org/lifekit 找到这些内容。如果您喜欢 LIFE KIT 并想要更多，请通过 npr.org/lifekitnewsletter 订阅我们的时事通讯。另外，您注册了 LIFE KIT+ 了吗？成为 LIFE KIT+ 的订阅者意味着您支持我们在 NPR 所做的工作。订阅者还可以在没有赞助商中断的情况下收听节目。要了解更多信息，请访问 plus.npr.org/lifekit。感谢所有已经订阅的人，谢谢你们。
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SEGARRA：本集《LIFE KIT》由Thomas Lu 制作。我们的视觉编辑是 Beck Harlan。我们的视觉制作人是 Kaz Fantone。我们的数字编辑是 Malaka Gharib 和 Danielle Nett。梅根·基恩 (Meghan Keane) 担任监督编辑。贝丝·多诺万是我们的执行制片人。我们的制作团队还包括 Andee Tagle、Audrey Nguyen、Clare Marie Schneider、Margaret Cirino 和 Sylvie Douglis。工程支持来自 Josh Newell、Stu Rushfield 和 Stacey Abbott。我是玛丽埃尔·塞加拉。感谢收听。
