DR. Florencia Ziemke

Consuming higher amounts of ultra-processed foods has been connected to a range of health problems. These include higher cardiovascular mortality, type II diabetes, mental disorders, sleep problems, respiratory issues, obesity, and more.¹

These damaging foods are now estimated to make up 60% of adults’ diets,² and almost 70% of the diets of children and teens.³

Dr. Florencia Ziemke is the founder and medical director of Evexia Medical, a nutrition and weight management practice in Palm Beach, Florida.⁴

Here, Dr. Ziemke explains exactly what ultra-processed foods are and why they are so detrimental to our health.

She also shares important tips on how to successfully reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods.

LE: What are ultra-processed foods (UPFs)?

Dr. Ziemke: A processed food is one that undergoes changes to its natural form.

Ultra-processed food is a whole different category. These foods have undergone extensive processing and contain little to no whole foods. Instead, they contain high levels of sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt, plus additives like coloring, emulsifiers, and flavoring.⁵

Ultra-processed foods are formulated to augment texture and palatability, and to extend shelf life.

Examples of ultra-processed foods include snacks like chips and cookies, sodas, frozen meals, sugary boxed cereal, baked goods, and candy.⁵

LE: Can you give an example of how a healthy food can become "processed"?

Dr. Ziemke: Certainly. Take an apple for example. Minimally processed would be a prepackaged apple sliced for convenience.

A processed apple is unsweetened applesauce made with apples, water, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to prevent browning.

An ultra-processed apple is sweetened applesauce with the prior ingredients plus high fructose corn syrup.

LE: What has the latest research revealed about the dangers of consuming ultra-processed foods?

Dr. Ziemke: A study published in The BMJ in May 2024 showed that high intake of certain ultra-processed foods was linked to an early death.⁶

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health reviewed food records on more than 114,000 U.S. adults over a 30-year period. Results showed that adults eating mostly ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of death—and greater mortality from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia—when compared to adults who ate the least amounts of ultra-processed foods.

Foods with the strongest impact included processed meats, sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages, dairy-based desserts, and packaged breakfast foods such as waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

Earlier in the year, a meta-analysis looked at information on more than 9.8 million participants. It concluded that those eating more ultra-processed foods had a higher risk of 32 physical and mental health conditions, including obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and even asthma.¹

LE: What makes ultra-processed foods so harmful?

Dr. Ziemke: Ultra-processed foods negatively impact your health because of what they do contain—a high amount of unhealthy ingredients—and because of what they don’t contain—they’re lacking essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

In addition, ultra-processed foods may be as addictive as cigarettes.^7,8

Ultra-processing combines ingredients that blunt signals in our bodies that let us know we are full. Think of flavored potato chips: perfectly dusty and crisp, designed to melt in your mouth. With a few bites they’ve completely dissolved, and you can easily reach for another handful.

LE: How do UPFs contribute to weight gain?

Dr. Ziemke: Ultra-processed foods are cheap, convenient, and accessible. A study for the National Institutes of Health showed that people eating ultra-processed foods tend to ingest more calories and therefore gain weight.⁹

They are highly palatable and commonly require little to no chewing. They also combine ingredients that affect our brain’s reward centers, alter appetite and fullness signals, and make us crave them even more. They are engineered to be irresistible!

A study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health looked at the impact of ultra-processed foods versus minimally unprocessed foods on energy intake. It was a small sample size but a very interesting study design.⁹

Twenty adults lived in the research hospital for four weeks. They ate unprocessed or minimally processed foods for two weeks, followed by mainly ultra-processed foods for the next two weeks. They were allowed to eat as much as they wanted at each meal.

During the two weeks on ultra-processed foods, participants ate about 500 calories more per day in carbohydrates and fat than they did during the unprocessed food weeks. Not surprisingly, they also gained weight.

This study is currently being replicated to include a larger sample and further evaluation on the risks of ultra-processed foods consumption.

LE: How can people reduce their intake of UPFs?

Dr. Ziemke: Focus on non-processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein such as chicken and fish, whole grains, and nuts.

In addition, I’ve found that meal planning is the single most impactful thing you can do on a day-to-day basis to improve the quality of your diet. It involves deciding what you’ll eat for the week in advance.

Meal planning is not about following a strict diet or denying yourself certain foods. Instead, it is about creating a structured environment where healthy choices are easier to make.

By meal planning, you are less likely to opt for unhealthy food choices and can better align your choices with your health goals or with managing a medical condition if it exists.

LE: What are some of the benefits of meal planning?

Dr. Ziemke: Meal planning helps ensure that we are providing our bodies with the necessary nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and micronutrients.

It helps us make better food choices when hungry, rather than reaching for the bag of chips or grabbing takeout.

As an added benefit, meal planning helps save time and money, while reducing the daily stress of making meal decisions.

LE: Do you have any meal planning tips to help someone get started?

Dr. Ziemke: In our clinical practice, we use a tool called the Mealplan Method. This simplifies the process of creating balanced meals while giving a sense of flexibility, because life happens.

Each Mealplan is individually tailored to help meet a person's health goals.

Adopting a healthy and positive attitude toward food is critical. It is essential to understand that everyone’s nutritional needs and preferences are different.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all meal plan.

Instead of striving for “perfection” in your diet, focus on the positive changes you are making in your food choices.

That will make the biggest impact in the long run.

See also the Meal Planning 101 eBook that is available to download free on the website.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

1. Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, et al. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. 2024 Feb 28;384:e077310.
2. Martínez Steele E, Baraldi LG, Louzada MLdC, et al. Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2016;6(3):e009892.
3. Wang L, Martinez Steele E, Du M, et al. Trends in Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years, 1999-2018. JAMA. 2021 Aug 10;326(6): 519-30.
4. Available at: https://evexiamed.com/team/dr-florencia-ziemke-md-dabom/. Accessed November 21, 2024.
5. Available at: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/processed-foods/. Accessed November 20, 2024.
6. Fang Z, Rossato SL, Hang D, et al. Association of ultra-processed food consumption with all cause and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study. BMJ. 2024 May 8;385:e078476.
7. Gearhardt AN, Bueno C. Social clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction. BMJ. 2023;383:e075354.
8. Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction. BMJ. 2023;383:p2679.
9. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metab. 2019 Jul 2;30(1):67-77 e3.