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Wales Online
08-08-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Ultra-processed foods you should never buy again as they're linked to 32 health conditions
Ultra-processed foods you should never buy again as they're linked to 32 health conditions Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been linked to an array of health problems, with a recent report claiming they can lead to 32 harmful health outcomes Many of us regularly eat UPFs without thinking about the health impact (Image: Oscar Wong via Getty Images) It's widely recognised that excessive consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) can lead to severe health consequences. These ready-made products, frequently packed with an extensive list of ingredients, have been associated with obesity and countless other health problems. Nevertheless, a study published in the BMJ has gone one step further. It has connected UPFs to a heightened risk of 32 detrimental health outcomes including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. The research, carried out by an international team from Deakin University in Australia, examined data from nearly ten million people across various previously published studies. The results showed that individuals who routinely consumed the greatest quantities of UPF faced a 21% higher risk of early death and a 50% increased risk of dying from heart disease. It comes as parents are being warned over 3 food illnesses that can turn 'serious' in young children. Elevated UPF consumption was also associated with a 22% greater risk of depression, and approximately a 50% increased risk of anxiety and disrupted sleep patterns. UPFs are being linked to 32 health conditions (Image: Caroline Purser via Getty Images) Alarmingly, it's calculated that 57% of daily energy intake for UK adults comes from UPF, with an even greater proportion of 66% observed in teenagers. "These sweeteners used to be limited to little sachets and diet soft drinks," explained Dr Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food ... and Why Can't We Stop? and associate professor at UCL to the Times. "Now they're in everything: breads, cereals, granola bars, 'lite' yoghurts, no-added-sugar ice cream, flavoured milk.", he added. Compared with natural and minimally processed foods, UPFs tend to be less nutritious and often filled with additives, colourings, and preservatives. Dr Van Tulleken has even stated that if a food contains artificial sweeteners, it is, by definition, classed as a UPF. So, what are some of the worst offenders you should steer clear of? Here are 9 to look out for when you shop. Sugary breakfast cereals Breakfast cereals can be full of sugar (Image: Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images) Research conducted at Queen Mary University of London has shown that certain breakfast cereals can contain up to a third of their weight in sugar, which equates to 8 teaspoons per 100g. Cereals that are artificially coloured, shaped or flavoured also fall into the ultra-processed category. Choose minimally processed and lightly sweetened options like porridge oats instead. Ready meals A staggering 90% of people in the UK eat ready meals, with two-fifths indulging at least once a week. Yet, these UPF meals are typically high in salt, sugar, fat, and additives. Research from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute indicates that sugar content in ready meals is considerably higher than in homemade versions. Experts from Newcastle University and the University of Cambridge have also found that supermarket ready meals are "high in saturated fat and salt." Cooking from scratch is the healthier option whenever possible. Pre-packaged cakes and biscuits can be full of additives (Image: MAIKA 777 via Getty Images) Store-bought pre-packaged cakes and biscuits Mass-produced cakes and biscuits may not be the healthiest snack choice. They are often packed with additives, artificial flavourings, and preservatives. Research from Queen Mary University of London has found that an astonishing 97% of shop-bought cakes and 74% of biscuits would qualify for a "red" (high) warning label for sugar content, indicating they contain more than 27g of sugar per 100g. Pre-packed meat products Indulging in processed meats such as popular sausage rolls, ham slices, and crispy bacon could increase your chances of developing bowel cancer, which is the fourth most common type in the UK. These products frequently include nitrites, which have been associated with the formation of cancer-causing chemicals. Pre-packed meat products can contain nitrites (Image: Kypros via Getty Images) UK health officials recommend limiting processed meat consumption to no more than 70g per day, but ideally, these items should be avoided altogether. Vegan meat substitutes While adopting a plant-based diet has undeniable health benefits, many plant-based "meat" products are highly processed and filled with extra salt and flavour enhancers. Action on Salt's research indicated that 28% of all vegan meat alternatives they examined contained high levels of sodium. These vegan options also tend to lack the iron and B vitamins present in real meat. Ultra-processed cheeses Classic cheese provides essential protein, a good amount of calcium, and a host of vital vitamins. However, ultra-processed cheese slices typically contain only about 60% real cheese, mixed with emulsifying agents and other ingredients such as vegetable oils, extra salt, food colourings, and sugar. Always check the labels. Artificially flavoured corn chips While some plain, salted snacks can be non-UPF, many types of corn tortilla chips bear little resemblance to natural corn. "Some of these corn chips are more highly processed than others, having been cooked in refined oils with artificial flavours and preservatives added," says dietitian Rhiannon Lambert, author of The Science of Nutrition (DK). "A 100g serving can contain nearly 30g of fat, over one third of the maximum daily amount." If it tastes heavily flavoured, it's best avoided. Flavoured yoghurts Yoghurt might seem like a healthy choice, but many flavoured varieties are so heavily modified and refined that they no longer resemble the natural product. A survey by the Food Foundation found that 53% of yoghurts on sale contain four cubes or more of sugar per pot. The daily allowance for children aged 4-6 is just five cubes. Even some plain yoghurts can veer into UPF territory if they contain thickeners like pectin. Fizzy drinks Nearly a quarter of the sugar in our diets comes from sweet beverages like squashes, cordials and fizzy drinks, and diet versions aren't much better. "As well as the sweetener Acesulfame K, caffeine, flavouring and colouring, it contains phosphoric acid, which rots teeth and leaches the minerals out of our bones," Dr Van Tulleken explains. "Whether or not it's a tiny bit better or worse than full-sugar [cola] is moot - they're both terrible for your body." Article continues below The message is unmistakable - if we wish to enhance our health and wellbeing, we must significantly cut our consumption of ultra-processed foods. Adhering to minimally processed, natural whole foods is the approach to take.
WIRED
08-02-2025
- WIRED
Why People Act So Weirdly at Airports
Feb 8, 2025 8:00 AM Time and boundaries dissolve in these spaces while people become charged with stress, anxiety, and excitement. Throw in a drink or two, and it's no wonder people aren't themselves. Photograph: Caroline Purser/ Getty Images If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED THIS ARTICLE IS republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Many of us have witnessed unusual and even antisocial behavior at an airport or on a flight. These may range from benign acts such as sleeping on the floor or doing yoga in front of the flight information display system to serious incidents like early morning drunken arguments or even trying to open the airplane doors mid-flight. These more sinister problems appear to have worsened over recent years, with increasing air rage incidents and flight diversions. Such incidents have led to calls to reduce or even ban the sale of alcohol at airports and on planes. RyanAir, for example, has called for a two-drink limit at airport bars to stop drunken incidents on planes. But what is it about airports that make us behave differently? Let's take a look at the psychology. Many vacationers feel that the adventure begins at the airport, putting them in a different frame of mind than normal. They are eager to begin their one or two weeks' of relaxed hedonism with a flourish. Others, however, are anxious about flying, which may make them act out of character or take refuge in alcohol. The noise and crowds of airports doesn't help either. As the field of environmental psychology has demonstrated, human beings are very sensitive to our immediate surroundings and can easily become 'overloaded' by stressors such as crowds and noise. Stress and anxiety produce irritability, both on a temporary and ongoing basis. People who are generally anxious are more prone to anger. And a temporary anxious mood often triggers angry outbursts. In my view, we also need to look at the airport from a psychogeographic perspective. Psychogeography studies the effect of places on people's emotions and behavior, particularly urban environments. In Celtic cultures, there is a concept of special 'thin places'—often sacred groves or forests—where the veil between the material and spiritual world is thin. In thin places, we are between two realms, neither fully in one place nor another. In the modern technological world, airports can also be seen as 'thin places.' They are liminal zones where boundaries fade. On a literal level, national borders dissolve. Once we pass through security, we enter a no-man's-land, between countries. The concept of place becomes hazy. In a similar way, time becomes a hazy concept at airports. About to step on a plane, we are in a liminal space between two time zones, about to leap forward in time, or even head back into the past. Some flights across the US—such as Atlanta to Alabama—land earlier than departure time, as they cross time zones. Being able to manage our time gives us a sense of control over our lives. Losing this may be another source of anxiety. In another sense, airports are a zone of absence, where the present moment is unwelcome. Everyone's attention turns toward the future, to their flights and the adventures ahead of them when they arrive at their destination. This intense future focus often brings frustration, especially if flights are delayed. Personal boundaries also become fluid. As well as antisocial behavior, airports may play host to pro-social behavior, where strangers share their travel and holiday plans, speaking with unusual intimacy. In no-man's-land, normal social inhibitions don't apply. And alcohol can further lubricate this social cohesion. Many people drink alcohol at airports. Photograph: visualspace/ Getty Images Due to the haziness of time and place, airports create a sense of disorientation. We define ourselves in terms of time and place. We know who we are in relation to our daily routines and our familiar environments. We also define ourselves in terms of nationality. Without such markers, we may feel adrift. Whether caused by psychological or environmental factors, and even if only temporary, disorientation can have detrimental effects. Liberating Effects On the plus side, all of this may have a liberating effect for some of us. As I point out in my book Time Expansion Experiences , we normally view time as an enemy that steals the moments of our lives and oppresses us with deadlines. So to step outside time sometimes feels like being let out of prison. The same applies to identity. A sense of identity is important to our psychological health, but it can become constricting. Like actors who are stuck playing the same character in a soap opera week after week, we enjoy the security of our roles but long to test and stretch ourselves with new challenges. So to step outside our normal routines and environments feels invigorating. Ideally, the freedom that begins at the airport continues throughout our foreign adventures. Ultimately, whether we feel anxious or liberated, we may end up acting out of character. In line with the theories of psychologist Sigmund Freud, this could be interpreted as a shift from our normal civilized ego to the primitive, instinctive part of the psyche, which Freud called the id. According to Freud, the id is the site of our desires and drives, our emotion and aggression, and it demands instant gratification. The id is normally held in check by the ego, but it is always liable to break through, especially when our inhibitions are loosened by alcohol or drugs. Outside normal restraints, some vacationers allow their id to express itself as soon as they pass through security. And once they become intoxicated, the id is completely dominant and liable to cause mayhem. Banning alcohol from airports may sound draconian. But given that there are so many factors that encourage antisocial behavior, it is difficult to think of any other solution. In a situation when boundaries break down, leading to possible chaos, a legal boundary may be the only hope.
