A leading nutritional expert has sounded the alarm on the dangers of a poor diet. Dr Megan Rossi, also known as The Gut Health Doctor, has raised concerns about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and their potential impact on the nation’s health.
Conducting research at King’s College London, Dr Rossi suggests that UPFs might be associated with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes, among others. She also revealed some startling figures regarding the UK’s dependence on UPFs.
However, Dr Rossi didn’t just highlight the problem; she offered a solution with her ‘two-step rule’ aimed at cutting down UPF consumption to foster a healthier lifestyle and mitigate the risk of related health issues. “We can’t escape UPF; this is an ongoing hot topic, and for good reason,” she remarked.
“Did you know that UPF currently makes up over two-thirds of the average UK teenager’s daily calories, nearly half of a UK toddler’s daily intake, and about 50 per cent of total energy intake across the UK.
“Now, not all UPF is non-nutritious, and I’m a firm believer in inclusion, not exclusion, so cutting out UPF completely isn’t the answer. But these numbers are eye-opening, and there are growing numbers of studies linking some UPFs with increased risks of conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, etc.
“The tricky part? We’re not yet sure what component of UPF could be the issue. That’s why our team at King’s College London is delving into the effects of certain food additives, such as emulsifiers-commonly found in UPF-on gut health.”
The NHS defines processed food as any food or drink that has been altered in some way during its creation or preparation. Ultra-processed foods often contain ingredients you wouldn’t typically find in your kitchen, like preservatives, sweeteners and emulsifiers.
Examples include sweetened beverages, crisps, pre-packaged cakes and biscuits, ice cream, sweets and chocolate, most ready meals, and packaged meat pastries like pies and pasties. Dr Rossi further advised: “You really don’t need to spend all your time analysing packets, doing more home cooking is the simple answer. But if you’re keen to get more savvy at the supermarket, here is my suggestion: Become your own food detective and check the back of the pack.
“If a food contains more than two ingredients that you’re unlikely to add if you were to make that food at home e.g. sugar and palm oil in your bread, or there are more than two things in the ingredients list that you don’t recognise, then it could be worth checking for another brand, or making your own.
“My rule of ‘more than 2’ exists because many packaged foods will contain a preservative in them. Many of these are unfamiliar in your kitchen and can sound intimidating, but they’re generally fine. For example, you might see ascorbic acid added to sauces, which is actually just vitamin C, and calcium propionate added to pitta bread, which is naturally found in certain cheeses.”
Dr Rossi said she was aware that many people are not fond of cooking themselves, and may not have the expertise to make home-made meals with fresh ingredient. She advised batch-cooking once a month as the perfect way to start.
“I don’t want people to think ‘oh my god, I have to become a nutritionalist to understand all of this’ – it’s about looking at it generally. What percentage of your diet comes from a packet? If it’s a large per cent, then you might be thinking ‘look, okay, I don’t love cooking but once a month I’m going to some bulk baking and I’m going to freeze it’,” she said.
“My freezer is full of prepped meals right now. I think that’s the way we need to start thinking instead of fixating on each ingredient list because, to be honest, a lot of the stuff in supermarkets will be ultra-processed – we can’t get away with that.”