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Basic Nutritional Education

Ignore everything below this line for now, as of 1/21/2024

Ultra-Processed Foods (Needs Rewriting)

Ultra-processed foods are densely caloric combinations of added sugars, processed oils, refined carbohydrates without fiber, and preservatives. There are a number of hypotheses why processed foods may be harmful, and until I have more education on physiology and nutrition, I’m not sure how to weigh the impact of each:

Likely the most damaging aspect of ultra processed foods is that they hijack the satiety factors within your mind and body. With whole foods, your brain knows when it’s full and when we’ve had enough. But the tastiness, crunchiness, saltiness, macronutrient composition, and reward of ultra processed foods mess with satiety hormones, leading to excess consumption of calories. This excess intake of energy, especially in under muscled people, is the first step in metabolic dysfunction.
Layne Norton, an excellent PhD nutritionist, often purports that there isn’t a negative inherent quality about the base molecules of sugar, like sucrose and fructose. Sugar’s problem is that it frequently is added to hyperpalatable and non-satiating foods. These foods increase the number of calories one eats. He believes that being hypercaloric, and the subsequent increase in visceral fat, is what causes inflammation and worsened chronic disease outcomes. Additionally, sugar without fiber causes spikes in insulin, which over time can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. People could still be overweight and diabetic before the Industrial Revolution, so I don’t think it is fair to say processed foods are the only cause of health issues within the country.
Chemical preservatives
It takes up real estate that could be used for nutrients