A doctor has dropped a bombshell on a hit podcast, claiming that one common foodstuff could be deadlier than cigarettes. Doctor Chris van Tulleken dished out the startling revelation on the Diary of a CEO podcast with host Steven Bartlett, and it's likely something we're all munching on.
The doc, who's an expert in infectious diseases and a familiar BBC science presenter, has a twin, Dr Xand van Tulleken, who's also a well-known BBC personality seen on shows like BBC Morning Live.
While discussing his book "Ultra-Processed People," Dr Chris delved into our dietary dilemmas: "For a very long time, we have been incredibly confused about what to eat.
"We've called the foods that harm us junk food and processed food - high fat, salt and sugar food. We've not had a way of labeling food even as a pandemic of disease taken over the world."
It's a worldwide issue, hitting hard in both impoverished nations and Ireland. The doctor pointed out: "This is particularly true in low income countries," reports the Mirror.
"So poor diet, which means a diet high and ultra processed foods (UPF), has overtaken tobacco as a leading cause of early death on planet Earth for humans, for the animals we farm and for wild animals."
And it's not just about health – it's an environmental crisis too: "because ultra-processed food is produced by food system that is the leading cause of loss of biodiversity and the second-leading cause of carbon emissions and the leading cause of plastic pollution.
"So about 12 years ago, the definition was developed to describe a western industrial American diet. And it was done by a team in Brazil, and much of the best work on this stuff has been done by teams in Central and South America."
He explained that in regions such as Mexico, Columbia, and Brazil, obesity was virtually non-existent but within ten years, it skyrocketed to become the primary public health concern. There was a time when obesity was rare, yet a mere decade later, "everyone would know someone who had an amputation for type two diabetes."
So what's behind this dramatic shift?
The doctor shed light on the issue: "The only thing that has changed was the influx of, broadly an American diet of industrial processed foods. The definition was invented in 2009/2010 and we've had a decade evidence now that is very clear that it is ultra processed food that is responsible, not just for pandemic weight gain and obesity, but also for a long list of other health problems, including early death."
He emphasized that UPFs are as addictive as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and drugs for some individuals, with substantial evidence backing this claim. Moreover, he cautioned against the counterproductive nature of "nagging" someone to quit eating junk food as a means to lose weight and improve health, noting that it often backfires, driving people towards the very behaviours being discouraged.
One study has shed light on the concerning impact of consuming highly processed fare, concluding that: "High UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders. At present, not a single study reported an association between UPF intake and a beneficial health outcome. These findings suggest that dietary patterns with low consumption of UPFs may render broad public health benefits."
Reinforcing these worrisome connections, another piece of research found: "Higher UPF consumption was associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality risk, with multiple metabolic pathways playing mediating roles."
A YouTube user who came across this information in a video has attributed a significant personal transformation to it, sharing: "I cannot overstate how much Chris has changed my life in the space of just 5 months. In early June I watched a podcast in which he was a guest and he spoke about the same topic."
Detailing the changes made since June 6, 2023, the viewer continued: "Since the 6th June 2023, I've cut out ultra-processed food almost entirely from my diet. Initially I thought it'd be impossible to find foods without crap in it but it's actually been really easy. When I fancy a snack I have an apple or a few grapes, or some nuts. I have a variety of home cooked meals every night."
The person’s healthier choices extend into breakfast, saying: "For breakfast I have a 'full fat' natural yoghurt (containing just milk) and occasionally I'll have toast with a organic jam or scrambled eggs on the weekend (bread sourced from a bakery).
"The home cooked meals aren't what people would consider particularly healthy (plenty of meat, cheese, starchy foods) and I've not cut down on portion sizes. In the last five months I've gone from 112KG to 99.9 KG (as of yesterday). The only other lifestyle change I've made is to take a one-hour walk every week day. Other than this, I've done no other exercise in the last 5 months whatsoever."
Tune into the full episode of The Junk Food Doctor titled "THIS Food Is Worse Than Smoking!" featuring Chris Van Tulleken Ultra-Processed People for more insights.
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