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Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

cam.mbi.ufl.edu

161–170 of 177 posts

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#161
post #96
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the major problem is that no one can define what "processed" means in any consistent or objective sense. It's just a retcon'd category of things people already think of as unhealthy.

> no one can define what "processed" means this is 'ultra processed' food that is defined by NOVA classification system.

"NOVA classification system" by Monteiro et al's description of ultra-processed food is more or less exactly what I've described:

> A singular feature of NOVA is its identification of ultra-processed food and drink products. These are not modified foods, but formulations mostly of cheap industrial sources of dietary energy and nutrients plus additives, using a series of processes (hence ‘ultra-processed’). All together, they are energy-dense, high in unhealthy types of fat, refined starches, free sugars and salt, and poor sources of protein, dietary fibre and micronutrients. Ultra-processed products are made to be hyper-palatable and attractive, with long shelf-life, and able to be consumed anywhere, any time.

Previously we would just call this "junk food" rather than make some insinuation about "processing," which is still undefined and without meaning.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#162
post #132
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> no one can define what "processed" means this is 'ultra processed' food that is defined by NOVA classification system.

Links to that? I am entirely unfamiliar and could easily find the wrong item.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-processed_food#NOVA_food...

https://educhange.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NOVA-Classi...

It's a classification system promoted by a single research group in Brazil (Monteiro et al).

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you found that it has helped your Hidradenitis suppurativa too?

For me, the diet puts HS completely into remission. I've been on the yeast and wheat-free diet for about six years. While the diet is hard to follow, I never have any boils, sinus tracts or any skin inflammation. Also happily (and anecdotally) I no longer experience headaches or migraines of any kind.

Thanks for the reply, I am happy it put it into remission for you and you are doing better.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#164
post #5

> Even packaged breads, including those high in nutritious whole grains, qualify as ultra-processed in many cases because of the additives and preservatives they contain. However much I'd like to alter my diet to be more healthy, including flavored nuts or bread as ultraprocessed means I have nearly zero chance avoiding a sizable portion of what academic scientists label as ultraprocessed. These studies and press rel…

You could move to a country were bread has no additives or preservatives.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the problem occurs when you realize its not just bread, it's almost everything at the store. For a working couple with children, they now have to make everything at home, which is not possible if both parents are working.

Of course it’s possible. It takes about five minutes to prepare a chicken.

It takes another thirty minutes to do the dishes and clean the kitchen.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Walmart sells fresh-baked bread too. Come on.

But it costs twice as much...

So it costs $3 instead of $1.50? I think people buy sandwich bread because they prefer it and not because of cost.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#167
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want to understand what the average American consumes the answer is whatever is on the shelf of their local Walmart (they sell groceries). This is the crux of the matter: we can only buy what is on our shelves. If we have to start looking at ingredients lists, I think we've already lost the plot. Why are these questionable things on our shelves in the first place? Likely because they're cheaper to make, or wor…

I think it's a two sided chicken and egg type problem: we can only buy what's on our shelves but - having personally come from a country that's hardly famous for its cuisine - I think American food culture ranges from poor to nonexistent. The bar for agricultural and processed products that the average consumer recognizes as edible food is shockingly low whether we're talking about bread or what passes for tomatoes h…

The immigrant melting pot, and the food that results is American food culture, at least when you're outside of homogeneous strip malls that the Midwest is famous for. So in Southern California, there's no shortage of immigrants who started their own restaurant or food truck. Next to the 99 Ranch or H-mart, there's little boutiques of food from back home. And then to top it off, there are fusion places targeting the American palate, which just couldn't exist anywhere else in the world.

If you think American cuisine consists of massive chains; TGI Fridays, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Hooters, Texas Roadhouse, etc, then no wonder you don't think highly of American cusine. But if you branch out from there, there's a ton of food culture, and Southern California's a great place to experience it.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#168
post #98
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bake my own bread. It's very little work. The problem is the time commitment. You need to be there for a large part of the process. The first mixing and kneading takes the longest, maybe 5 minutes. After that every 20 minutes you need to come and fold for a minute 3 times. After that, let it rest for 8-16h (depending on dough temperature, amount of yeast, environment temperature). Then you do another 2 minutes of w…

There is a compromise that you can do if you are short for time. Buy a bread maker with a timer. You add the ingredients before going to bed and it will bake overnight and will be ready in time for breakfast. It is not the same thing as hand made sourdough but it is a good compromise.

Yes, I recommend this, too, if you're in some American bread desert and short on time.

If you have time on the weekends only you can do amazing bread and freeze it. I prepped it on Friday or Saturday evenings, baked it the next morning. Cut and froze it and had enough for the week. That's how I survived in Canada.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#169
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't flour highly processed?

what do you mean by highly processed flour? whole wheat is not treated or anything, just dehusked if i remember and then ground down. is there something else they do to whole wheat flour these days?

Flour in a supermarket isn't just milled, it's milled finely and bleached and so on. I wouldn't know where to get 'just flour'.

Re: Ultra-processed foods may contribute to cognitive decline

#170
post #107
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem in the US is housing density and dependence on cars. In the average US city a street may have an order of magnitude fewer people than a moderately dense city.

Zoning laws generally exclude businesses from opening in residential neighborhoods. So no neighborhood bakery, butcher, produce, pub, etc within walking distances. Change the zoning laws, change the car dependencies.

Why not have a "shopping area" in every locality, say in every block of houses? That way you would be employing people and people would just "walk" to get everything.

Hyper-Local stores would only keep most essential in demand products while you'd have to go out and buy from big stores something niche.

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