Study Shows Healthy Diet Can Be Built with Ultra-Processed Foods
In a groundbreaking study, scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center have demonstrated that it is possible to build a healthy diet with 91 percent of the calories coming from ultra-processed foods while still following the recommendations from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This study challenges the notion that ultra-processed foods have no place in a balanced diet.
Using the NOVA Scale to Classify Foods
The scientists used the NOVA scale, the most commonly used scale in nutrition science, to determine which foods to classify as ultra-processed. The NOVA scale groups foods into four categories based on their degree of processing. This classification system allows researchers to understand the impact of different types of foods on health.
Creating a Healthy Menu
To test the viability of using ultra-processed foods to build a healthy diet, the ARS scientists and their collaborators created a menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks using MyPyramid as a guide for a seven-day, 2,000-calorie food pattern. The menu consisted of foods categorized as ultra-processed by at least two NOVA graders while still aligning with the 2020 DGA recommendations for servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. The scientists selected food products with lower levels of saturated fats and added sugars, while ensuring they still contained enough essential nutrients.
Assessing the Quality of the Diet
The researchers used the Healthy Eating Index to assess the quality of the diet in relation to key DGA recommendations. The menu they developed scored 86 out of 100 points on the Healthy Eating Index-2015, meeting most of the thresholds, except for sodium content (which exceeded recommendations) and whole grains (which were below recommendations). This indicates that a diet consisting primarily of ultra-processed foods can still be nutritionally balanced.
Continuing Research and Implications
While this study provides evidence that ultra-processed foods can be part of a healthy diet, the researchers acknowledge that observational research has indicated possible adverse health outcomes associated with these products. Therefore, further research, especially intervention studies, is needed to fully understand the role of ultra-processed foods in a healthy diet.
The details of this study were published in The Journal of Nutrition by a team of researchers from the USDA-ARS, University of Minnesota, Johnson Nutrition Solutions, LLC, Soy Nutrition Institute Global, and the University of North Dakota.
For more information, please visit:
US Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service
Original Story at www.news-medical.net – 2023-07-12 00:46:00
