Few facts and all fear about processed foods

I'm just a dietitian, standing in front of society, asking it to stop fear mongering foods unnecessarily.

Before I begin this newsletter, I have to remind everyone that I wrote a book, which is currently on shelves and on audio, called “Live Nourished: Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy.” Not to mention that the holidays are here, and if you need a gift idea for someone you know who would be interested in looking at nutrition with an intersectional lens, this might be up your alley.

Now that the sales pitch is over, on to today’s newsletter!

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I’m personally a little bit bored. Every single week, there is a new article about ultra-processed foods (UPF) and how harmful they are. These foods are so scary and should be avoided at all costs, right? Well, as a dietitian, I do a ton of eye-rolling with these headlines. Why? Because there is no nuance, no regard for socioeconomic factors, and, most of the time, an exaggeration of the facts. It’s boring, it’s tiring, and causing unnecessary fear amongst people when we as a society have much larger problems at hand like inequity of our systems. But then again, a little distraction from the actual problems are perhaps the point. Anyway…

A recent article from Scientific American titled “Ultraprocessed Foods High in Seed Oils Could Be Fueling Colon Cancer Risk” came out last week. Eye roll induced. Oh great, another fear-mongering article on seed oils, even though there are numerous studies that not only say seed oils are safe but are also healthy. The byline of the article reads, “A new study suggests certain lipids, particularly omega-6 fatty acids, which are commonly found in seed oils used to make ultra-processed junk food, may promote inflammation in colon cancer tumors.” Okay, this sounds scary, right? Here’s the comical part - clicking on the actual study that the article is referencing, I find it fascinating that seed oils were not mentioned once. NOT ONCE. So the headline stating UPF high in seed oils could be causing cancer, even though seed oils were not actually mentioned in the study? Clickbait is why.

Reading this was incredibly annoying but the article itself was predictable.

There was a bunch of other misleading data, which was all written to scare the public, of course. I highly recommend

Dr. Andrea Love

who wrote a recent newsletter on this article. She breaks everything down perfectly, so I suggest checking it out here:

Seed oils are NOT causing colorectal cancer.

Now, Omega-6s were mentioned in the article and the study, but the conclusion is still not concrete on their cause for cancer, hence the use of the word “could” in the article. Omega-6s are found in some seed oils, but do you know what other omega-6 containing foods? Walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, eggs, and many more foods that would otherwise be deemed healthy. And an important fact to remember is that our bodies need omega-6s. Omega-6 fatty acids support proper cell function throughout the body, and when working in conjunction with omega-3 fatty acids, they have anti-inflammatory properties. So you see, omega-6s are not something to be feared.

Vegetable oil, canola oil, and other seed oils get a bad rep because they are used in many packaged foods. So many (most influencers without credentials) figure that it’s the seed oils that are harmful to the body. What should be looked at is the often high sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, not the seed oils in packaged foods. And I want to be super freaking clear that not all packaged foods are created equal. The package of Chips Ahoy! cookies is not the same thing as a package of tuna fish. Not all foods are the same just because they are shelf stable, but there can still be a place for these foods. Consumption can look different, and the reasoning behind why we choose them. I personally can’t stand the word moderation, but to get my point across, there is a time and a place for these foods, and yes, moderation is key. I’ll get into more details below, promise.

What does “processed food” mean anyway?

No, please don’t fear seed oils. Not to mention that we don’t always think about the different reasons why we consume processed foods. I will always remind folks that nearly everything we eat is processed to some degree, meaning that unless you go to an apple orchard and pick the apple from the tree and eat it right there, you are eating processed food. Processed simply means that the food has been manipulated in some way (which does not make it bad or unhealthy). This can include fruits and vegetables that were sprayed and packaged in preparation for travel to the stores, bagged spinach and salads, and, of course, boxed and canned foods.

The most common classification of processed foods comes from the NOVA system. It is not perfect by any means, mostly because of how foods are classified. In short, there are 4 groups:

Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, which include fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, grains, meats, eggs, legumes, and nuts/seeds. Processing in this group means the removal of inedible parts and does not add substances to the original form.

Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients, which include oils (olive, coconut, etc.), animal fats (butter), maple syrup, sugar, and honey. These are substances from group 1 foods that have been processed through pressing, refining, grinding, etc.

Group 3: Processed foods, which includes canned vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, cheese, bread, wine, beer, and cider. The processing in this group includes foods from groups 1 or 2 with the addition of oil, salt, or sugar by means of canning, pickling, smoking, curing, or fermentation.

Group 4: Ultra-processed foods, which include sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet snacks, reconstituted meat products, pre-prepared frozen meals, canned soups, chicken nuggets, and ice cream. Processing in this category includes extraction and chemical modification. The end product contains very little food that is intact from group 1.

In reading this, I’m sure that you’re thinking group 4 sounds like something to be avoided at all costs. There are lots of negative connotations here. But let’s dig deeper. You know, use a bit of nuance.