Dietary guidelines—focus on #diets rich in fruit, #vegetables, nuts, whole grains, #legumes; reduce #salt, #sugar, saturated fat—already cover many foods that classify as #UPFs, and the evidence on links btwn #ultra-processed foods & #obesity are limited… (1/x) https://kcklatt.substack.com/p/the-dgac-dodge-of-upfs
(2/x) Telling people not to eat #UPFs will just have the food industry reformulate their high calorie/sugar/salt foods, but reducing #fortification or taking out a few preservatives (especially if replaced with sugar & salt) isn’t really a #health win: https://kcklatt.substack.com/p/the-dgac-dodge-of-upfs #nutrition
(3/x) There are differences in risk estimates btwn foods categorized as UPFs & #health outcomes—some are linked to beneficial outcomes. Most #UPFs may be bad for health, but specific UPFs can be helpful (unsweetened nut milk, fortified whole grain cereals): https://kcklatt.substack.com/p/the-dgac-dodge-of-upfs #NOVA
(4/5) Controlled trials should compare #UPF & non-UPF versions of the same foods, not #poptarts vs salads; isolating the “UPF” component as the causal driver of #disease requires comparing a #homemade fruit pastry free of additives & preservatives vs a poptart: https://kcklatt.substack.com/p/the-dgac-dodge-of-upfs
(5/5) Blanket #labeling of UPFs could steer people away from convenient #health foods (canned #beans, prepackaged #oatmeals, unsweetened nut milk) or just make #industry reformulate a bit with little #health gains but undesirable outcomes like reduced shelf life: https://kcklatt.substack.com/p/the-dgac-dodge-of-upfs