Noah

Noah Praamsma is a dietitian Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine American and is about to become the number one enemy of the supporters of “real” food. Saying that some ultra-processed foods are healthy (although we have known this for years) has become almost taboo. And Praamsma, like most experts, is restrictive regarding the weight of this type of products in our diet. He latest HER report from Duke University for the USestimates that ultra-processed foods represent 53–58% of the calories of adults and 62% of those of children and adolescents. Therefore, it proposes measures to limit its exposure and consumption. But, immediately afterwards, he adds “with the reception of healthy ultra-processed foods.” That is the heart of the artichoke. But what is a ‘healthy ultra-processed’? Right now, the exception criteria are very demanding, to be honest. We are talking about products that provide adequate amounts of recommended food groups, that keep sugars, salt and saturated fat below recommended thresholds and that do not contain non-caloric sweeteners. That is to say, right now many breads or cereals that are sold as healthy (or ‘realfooder’) would not make the cut. And this is not a minor detail. Because right now there is a lot of noise about ultra-processed foods and health because, although we have known for a long time that “not everyone is the same”, In the US, a new regulation is being discussed and the “regulatory frontier” is going to be key for many industries. It is not, therefore, an academic debate, it is a pitched battle to get the Administration to leave certain industries in a good place. But we digress… The interesting thing about Noah Praamsma’s idea is that, if we look at the data, he is right. In 2024, Kenny Mendoza and his team at Harvard University analyzed all available evidence on the impact of ultra-processed foods on health and reached an interesting conclusion: while sugary/sweetened beverages and processed meats are associated with a higher cardiovascular risk, whole grain bread and cereals, yogurt and some salty snacks show an inverse association. That is, the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad is a heuristic. A very useful one, but a heuristic: a simple ‘mental shortcut’ to make better decisions or achieve good results. That is to say, and for that very reason, something that admits nuances. But why do you say that the heuristic is useful? Because the message “we can establish differences within the category” does not mean that the category is harmless. He The same Harvard study pointed out that the more consumption of ultra-processed foods (regardless of whether they are good or bad) is associated with a 17% higher cardiovascular risk, 23% higher coronary heart disease and 9% higher stroke risk. That is, you can recognize that there are healthy ultra-processed foods and, at the same time, recommend that they be consumed as little as possible. In fact, that is what I take advantage of this space to do. Because, at the end of the day, large epidemiological studies they are warning us that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with more health problems, lower quality of life and, ultimately, a higher chance of premature death. Image | Noah Praamsma / Fish Huang Xataka | Making extra rice is no longer a mistake: cooling and reheating it can reduce its calories according to some nutritionists