什么是超加工食品?你是不是吃得太多了?

什么是超加工食品?你是不是吃得太多了?

Technically, many of the healthy foods we eat are processed, but not in the way you might think. It's a matter of semantics. For example, if you have a Mason jar full of organic dried beans, you have processed food in your pantry. Frozen vegetables are processed, even if you picked the vegetables from your garden, blanched them and put them in the freezer. The moment you blanched them, you processed them. Peanuts-only peanut butter, steel cut oats and organic extra virgin olive oil are all processed to a degree, yet most people consider these foods part of a healthy diet.

从技术上讲，我们吃的很多健康食品都是加工过的，但不是你想象的那样。这是一个语义问题。例如，如果你有一个装满有机干豆的玻璃瓶，你的食品储藏室里就有加工过的食物。冷冻蔬菜是经过加工的，即使你从你的菜园里摘蔬菜，焯一下，放进冰箱。当你把它们漂白的时候，你已经处理过了。花生——只有花生酱、钢切燕麦和有机特级初榨橄榄油都经过一定程度的加工，但大多数人认为这些食物是健康饮食的一部分。

When we say we shouldn't eat processed foods, what we really mean is ultra-processed foods. There's a difference, and studies say Americans are eating way more ultra-processed foods than we should, leading to excessive (and often unrealized) sugar consumption with some unfortunate health consequences.

当我们说我们不应该吃加工食品时，我们真正的意思是超加工食品。这是有区别的，研究表明，美国人吃的超加工食品比我们应该吃的要多得多，导致了过量(而且往往没有意识到)的糖分摄入，并带来一些不幸的后果。

Ultra-processed foods could be adding sugar to your diet, and you don't even realize it. (Photo: Gayvoronskaya_Yana/Shutterstock)

In a recent analysis of more than 230,000 products, researchers found that more than 70% of them were classified as ultra-processed. Among the top 25 manufacturers by sales volume, 86% of products were classified as ultra-processed.

在最近对23万多种产品的分析中，研究人员发现，超过70%的产品属于超加工产品。在销售额排名前25位的制造商中，86%的产品属于超加工产品。

If you're looking to decrease the sugar in your diet, decreasing the ultra-processed foods you eat, even the ones that you wouldn't normally associate with sugar, can help you achieve your goal.

如果你想在你的饮食中减少糖，减少你吃的超加工食品，即使是少吃那些通常不会与糖联系在一起的食物，都可以帮助你达到目标。

The additives in processed food don't sound like much, but they matter. (Photo: Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com)

One theory is that the foods contain high levels of salt, sugar and fat. Those ingredients have been linked to obesity, which can also lead to a greater risk of cancer. A second theory is that some ultra-processed foods contain certain additives that have carcinogenic properties. For instance, titanium dioxide is used as a whitening agent or in food packaging to improve food's texture. Studies have shown that the additive could cause lesions on the colon or gastrointestinal inflammation.

一种理论是这些食物含有高盐、高糖和高脂肪。这些成分与肥胖有关，而肥胖也会增加患癌症的风险。第二种理论是，一些超加工食品含有某些具有致癌特性的添加剂。例如，二氧化钛被用作增白剂或在食品包装中改善食品的质地。研究表明，该添加剂可引起结肠或胃肠道炎症的损害。

Frozen lasagna generally has much more sugar per serving than homemade. (Photo: mikiledray/Shutterstock)

Also, another theory is high temperatures used to process the food can create newly formed contaminants. Finally, BPA (Bisphenol A) is commonly used in food packaging and can leech into the food.

另外，另一种理论是，用于加工食物的高温会产生新形成的污染物。最后，双酚A (BPA)是食品包装中常用的一种物质，会渗透到食品中。

While further studies are needed to know the exact reasons why ultra-processed foods can have such an impact on health, it's safe to say that the consequences of eating them outweigh the benefits.

虽然还需要进一步的研究来了解为什么超加工食品会对健康产生如此大的影响，但可以肯定的说，食用它们的伤害大于益处。

Unexplained weight gain? It might be connected to the amount of processed foods you're eating. (Photo: altafulla/Shutterstock)