Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food

Author: Chris Van Tulleken

I was expecting a scientific explanation about Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) and some guidance on what foods to avoid. After reading the book, I am more confused than before. 

Let’s start with the definition. Apparently, UPF has a long scientific definition that the author feels is not worth writing down in the book. Instead he says this: “If it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t usually find in a standard home kitchen, it’s UPF”.  I have no idea what a “standard home kitchen” is.  In our kitchen, we have all kinds of ingredients that we use to cook our meals with and it is quite conceivable that some of these ingredients are ultra-processed. So I guess my kitchen deviates from the “standard” that the author is referring to. Needless to say, this doesn’t help me get any closer to the definition of UPF.

I don’t let this minor technicality bother me too much and continue reading the book only to find that the author expands the definition to be extremely broad. In general, anything that is marketed and sold by profit making companies, could be classified as UPF. A case in point being the extension of the UPF label to bottled water, as it is now aggressively marketed and is messing with your mind. Notwithstanding this extreme case, there are tons of examples in the book of the deleterious effects that many innocent sounding food additives like coloring, xantham gum, lecithin, inulin, emulsifiers, modified starches. It turns out that many of these have the potential of messing with your natural regulatory mechanisms of food consumption and consequently can cause you to eat more and put on weight.

The book is not particularly well organized and makes for a difficult read.