Reality of processed food.

                                           Dr. Sashi Acharya
When I was a young girl visiting grocery stores was a totally different story. We used to buy roasted chana, peas, soybeans amongst other snacks, but when I visit grocery stores of today, I am at awe amongst the colorful and attractive packages that contains many fancy snacks. We did have access to candies and such but they were fewer than the whole foods available at that moment. We still do get those peanuts but they are now packed in attractive packages and are processed slightly more than what it used to be to increase the shelf-life of those food. But mostly those stores are full of chips, chocolates, biscuits, ready to eat noodles, which are ultra-processed. The sad story is that neither the seller nor the buyer knows the harmful impact of consuming those food products regularly. Even I was amongst the heavy buyers as times changed but recently after lots of consideration and study it has decreased to some extent. It is not feasible to avoid buying them completely.
So, what is processed-food? If any raw food is changed in any form from its natural form, it is called processed-food. The methods of processing may be broadly divided into mechanical and chemical processing.

MECHANICAL processing:
This process involves minimally altering the natural food. The methods used are only physical and they do not alter the natural food much. The process retains much of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber amongst others. Examples are cutting, freezing, heating in low heat, removing husk from grain, making flour from grains and pulses. Raw vegetables, fruits and meat if frozen without adding preservatives fall under this category, but we should watch out for companies that add preservatives.

CHEMICAL processing:
The food that undergoes chemical processing are ultra-processed food. This method uses refined salt, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils and other preservatives and additives. As a result, the raw food product undergoes drastic transformation in consistency, color and quality. They lose most of their nutritive properties which may promote deficiency of important nutrients and excess of others leading to many diseases. Some of these products maybe fortified with vitamins and minerals and are advertised to be healthy which may not be the case.
Thus, when we go to the market to buy products, we should make it a habit of reading the nutrition facts and ingredients label. The more the ingredients, the higher maybe the processing involved. Another point to note is that the ingredients are written in decreasing order of concentration, so the earlier it comes on the list, higher is that ingredient in the food product. Ready to eat noodles, pizzas, burgers, most bread manufactured by industries, breakfast cereals, biscuits, chips, ice-cream, packaged soup, sausages, bacon, ketchup and other dressings, soft drinks, diet coke, beer, juice packaged in cartons are all examples of ultra-processed food. Parboiled rice and brown rice are minimally processed while the polished white rice and pulses are processed slightly more.
At this moment in time, we may begin to ask if all ultra-processed food is bad for us? But we should not forget that processing foods increase their shelf-life hence they are very important in dire times like famine, earthquakes, floods, wars and any other events leading to food shortages and hunger. Hence if the food industries worked on improving the quality of the products keeping in mind the health of the consumer, we would have a symbiotic relationship between the consumer and the industries.

EFFECT OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD ON OUR HEALTH
-Refined sugar: Stripped of most minerals and fiber, there is no question of it being beneficial for our health. On the other hand, as it increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body and has been linked to certain diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, depression and other chronic illnesses. It is found in many foods like ketchup, dressings, and bread. They may be labelled as high fructose, cane sugar, maltose, glucose, dextrose, caramel, corn syrup, molasses etc. (something other than sugar) in the ingredients list so that we customers may not understand.  Nutrient deficit and with high calorie value since these sugars are easily digested, they are absorbed quickly in the blood and increases the levels of sugar and insulin in the blood. Not only diabetics are vulnerable to its detrimental effects but even healthy individuals become susceptible to obesity and diabetes. Studies show that Americans and Europeans who get more than 50% of their calories from processed foods are more vulnerable to illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.

-Refined sugar: Stripped of most minerals and fiber, there is no question of it being beneficial for our health. On the other hand, as it increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body and has been linked to certain diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, depression and other chronic illnesses. It is found in many foods like ketchup, dressings, and bread. They may be labelled as high fructose, cane sugar, maltose, glucose, dextrose, caramel, corn syrup, molasses etc. (something other than sugar) in the ingredients list so that we customers may not understand.  Nutrient deficit and with high calorie value since these sugars are easily digested, they are absorbed quickly in the blood and increases the levels of sugar and insulin in the blood. Not only diabetics are vulnerable to its detrimental effects but even healthy individuals become susceptible to obesity and diabetes. Studies show that Americans and Europeans who get more than 50% of their calories from processed foods are more vulnerable to illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.

-Artificial sweetener: Instead of refined sugar, aspartame and saccharin are widely promoted as sugar-free substances that are increasing in popularity in recent years. Many health conscious and diabetics who think they have found an alternative to refined sugar are initially happy about this development. Diet coke and diet soda have been an alternative for them. These products do not increase the level of sugar in the blood but they increase the level of insulin. Regular insulin spikes in the body eventually leads to insulin resistance hence leading to ineffective blood sugar control leading to diabetes. So these products which are supposed to be healthy alternative to refined sugar actually contributes equally towards diabetes. France has banned the use of aspartame while the USA and UAE amongst other countries have banned saccharin which has been linked to causing cancer. Hence these food additives should be consumed in minimum amount as possible. A product we consume today may be banned after research tomorrow.

-Salt: Daily recommended dose of salt is less than 5gm per day (one teaspoon). When we consume food with high content of salt, studies have shown that it may increase risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Another type of salt is Ajinomoto or monosodium glutamate (MSG). The effect of MSG on our health is highly debated as studies have shown both good and bad effects on our health. Certain countries like Pakistan and Turkey have banned this food additive. Hence consumption in moderation is advised.

-Vegetable oil and trans-fat: To enhance the taste of the food, to make it crispy and give it a good shape, and to increase the shelf-life of the food, many food industries use hydrogenated vegetable oils in the form of trans-fat. The consumption of which is detrimental to our health. These trans-fats are highly inflammatory, atherogenic with oxidant properties thereby increasing the possibility of heart attack and strokes.

-Food Addiction: Once we start consuming regularly, we start getting addicted to such processed foods. Consuming them have shown to increase dopamine levels in the body, which makes us feel good and elated. Once the dopamine levels come down to normal levels, we tend to do things so as to increase them back to the feel-good levels. Hence, we start consuming more and more of processed food and become addicted before we even know it. We may also suffer from anxiety and depression if we don’t get our dopamine levels back to the feel-good level.

-Gut health and ultra-processed food: Prolonged consumption of ultra-processed food, leads to unhealthy gut bacteria which may contribute to bad gut health and other diseases arising from it. The good gut bacteria are dependent on fiber for their food source and once we start overconsuming processed food, they are deprived off their food and are exposed to various food additives which are detrimental to their health. Then we become susceptible to various chronic and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, etc. So, if we want to live healthy and protect ourselves from the myriad of diseases related to poor gut health, we have to take care of our gut bacteria by giving it probiotics, fiber and avoiding food that harm our gut.

In today’s modern world, there is high demand for processed food, with low nutritional value, addictive properties, inflammatory and oxidant properties. We should make a habit of cooking and eating at home as much as possible. In parties and gatherings, we should improve our serving of snacks and include more natural and raw food. Consuming more of processed food will only encourage more and more production from the industries. The industries in turn should undertake actions that improve the quality of their products, minimizing and limiting the questionable food additives and improving the overall quality of the processed food products. We should all try and learn about our food and how it effects our health making good habits in the long run. Healthy lifestyle habits should be learnt from childhood, which I consider the utmost important skill, to adapt to the changing times.
Eat healthy, live healthy!!

Processed food -the reality.

Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety happens usually when a person’s mind is active and not his body. It happens when the mind displaces you from your present moment from your body to the past or the future or to your workplace or your spouse’s location. But stress does not happen when you come back to your present, wherever and whenever you are. So exercise, breathing exercises they bring us back to ourselves. Other things we enjoy doing, like cooking or playing football or serving your aging parents, the needy will relieve the mind off the stressful thoughts and anxieties we start developing in our lives. Even when it comes to our goals and ambitions, if we are too attached with it and think a lot about it, we will never find the initiative and the energy for that venture. We need to do more and think less.
So it’s never too late to enjoy your life because however young or however old, all we have is the present. But if you start travelling in your mind to the past or future or some place else you will loose your prescious time.

Few methods suggested for reducing stress and anxiety:-

-Exercise and yoga

-Improve nutrition

-Spending time with nature

-Spending time doing things you love (hobby)

-Spending time with loved ones

Choosing our cooking oil.

                                              -Dr. Sashi Acharya
Today, even in the 21st century we still are debating about the cooking oil we should use for our wellbeing. There have been many opposing ideas put to the front by various nutritionists and scientists, but still a definite conclusion doesn’t seem to be clear. To be honest, me, being a doctor I was in the dark about the oil we use for cooking. As I consumed less quantity of oil in my day-to-day life, I was least bothered about what oil I used, thinking “how much could little amounts of oil damage my health”. But as I started exploring the subject, I figured out what important role the consumption of fat plays in our well-being. We need to know what we are consuming. We need to know how to select our cooking oil.
First of all, we need to make sure that the oil is free from oxygen free radicals and trans-fat. These are the most harmful compounds found in oil that can harm our health. So where do these harmful compounds come from? We know that our oil is sourced from the seeds of various vegetables by pressing them using different techniques. If the oil is processed without using high temperatures and harmful chemicals in the extraction process, the so-called product is known as a cold-pressed oil. These types of oil retain most of the vitamins like A, D, E, K, unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3, omega6) and are free from the harmful oxygen free radicals and trans-fat. Then there are these refined oils, which use temperatures more than 200 degree Celsius and hexane, a petroleum product, for extracting the oil. When using refining techniques, they lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals they possess which degrade to oxygen-free radicals and trans-fat which are the harmful elements that damage our body in different ways.
These toxic metabolites not only increase our LDL cholesterol levels but oxidize them and then contribute to plaque formation inside the blood vessels, including those of the heart and brain. The disruption of this plaque may cause obstruction to these vessels and lead to heart attacks and strokes. Trans-fat has also been shown to be a carcinogen. When consumed for a prolonged period of time it may contribute in the formation of various forms of cancer. On top of all these metabolites, further damage is contributed by hexane, which is used for the refining process. I don’t mean to say that all of the refined oils are bad but at the present moment the way we refine our edible oils I would suggest waiting for a better refining process or consuming a cold-pressed oil.
Now I would like to discuss about overheating these oils. They all have a smoke point, a temperature above which these oils release smoke and form trans-fat and oxygen free radicals. Sadly, whichever oil we choose, they all have a smoke point beyond which they become unhealthy for consumption. The oils which have a smoke point of less than 120C, should be used only as dressings and toppings since they can go bad easily when heated. For normal cooking, oil with smoke point of 120-160C is advisable but for frying we require oil with a smoke point more than that. Refined oils have a higher smoke point than cold-pressed oil but we cannot judge them solely on this factor.
We need to choose a cooking oil which has anti-oxidant properties which neutralizes the harmful molecules. The ones rich in Omega-3 and Omega-9 fall into this category. Opposite to this good fat, we have Omega-6 which are inflammatory, so we need to consume these in moderation as our body requires them in small amounts for normal functioning, but consuming them in larger quantities can cause harm. Ideally, we need to consume Omega3 and omega6 in 1:1 ratio. But few have a ratio close to this, so the ones with a higher omega 3 content is preferred.
We now have understood that trans-fat is a unhealthy unsaturated fatty acid. Food products should have less than 2% of it. But Food industries partially hydrogenates Omega fatty acids to make trans-fat which increases the shelf life of their food products. Most packaged foods, canned foods, chips, ice-cream, pastries and other junk and fast food all use trans-fats. These days growing children, teenagers and adults alike are very fond of these kinds of food products. We all have to learn to avoid them so that we can prevent many chronic diseases which has its root cause in the diet of an individual. The youth of today has faced an unprecedented amount of heart attacks, the incidence of which has increased along with the increase in consumption of refined vegetable oil in our society.

Now we shall discuss few of the cooking oil popular in our part of the world.

• Mustard oil. (yellow mustard/black mustard)
It has been used as the main cooking oil in Nepal, India and also in other Asian countries since ages ago. It is rich in Omega-9 (oleic acid), and the ratio of Omega6: Omega3 ratio is 6:5, and contains 13% saturated fat and has been promoted as one of the best cooking oils by scientists and doctors from India. Due to high content of Omega-9 and Vitamin E a powerful antioxidant, it has been linked to healthier heart and hence it is beneficial for people with heart diseases and diabetes. It has been a subject of controversy as it contains high amount of erucic acid, but experts have concluded after many studies that consumption in moderation has no ill effects on the health of the consumer. Cold pressed mustard oil has a smoke point of 250C hence it is very useful for frying and cooking at high temperatures without being degraded to unhealthy products. In a country like ours, where we grow our own mustard, we can access this oil at reasonable prices and buy it from a reliable source.

• Sunflower oil
It is rich in Omega-9 and vitamin E, but also contains a high amount of omega-6. Cold pressed sunflower oil has a smoke point of only 107C hence it is not used for cooking purposes. Refined sunflower oil has a high smoke point of 232C hence it can be use to fry and cook at high temperatures. But when we consider other factors, like being refined and containing high amount of Omega-6, we have other better alternatives.

• Corn oil and soyabean oil
These oils contain high amount of Omega6; hence they are not suitable for everyday consumption.

• Rice bran oil
This oil is rich in Omega6 but also contains lots of Omega3, Omega9, Vitamin E, and oryzanol-like antioxidants so many people are preferring the use of this cooking oil. Smoke point is 232C hence can be used for frying and high heat cooking methods. Only refined rice bran oil is used because cold pressed oil spoil easily. Refining rice bran oil requires a lower temperature hence it seems comparatively better amongst other refined cooking oil. • Olive oil

• Olive oil

It is available mainly as virgin and extra-virgin (cold pressed) oil. It has a low amount of omega6 and saturated fats, but is rich in omega9. Smoke point of virgin oil is 210C and extra-virgin is 190C and hence they can be used for salad dressings, cooking, but should be avoided for high temperature frying. It is grown as Jaitun in the hilly areas of Nepal (Bajhang, Bajura, Mugu, Dolopa, Rukum). Experts have suggested these hilly areas to be ideal for the farming of olives. If we could promote this it would benefit the local population in both in terms of health and economy. Today we consume only imported olive oil in our country. Due to high cost of this imported product few people have the resources to consume this. Hope in a few years’ times we can see more of home-grown products in our marketplace so we all can buy it for a more reasonable price.
• Coconut oil
It is a widely used cooking oil in southern India. This oil had been debated about due to its 90% content of saturated fats. Even though it contains a large amount of saturated fats, these do not disintegrate easily while cooking. It has been shown to have many health benefits for the consumers. Cold pressed coconut oil has a smoke point of 177C. It contains lauric acid that may increase the good HDL which is beneficial for heart health. It can be used for cooking and frying but usage of high amount is not suggested.

• Avocado oil
Rare to find and expensive to purchase, this oil is seldom seen when we go for grocery shopping in our country. It has a high content of Omega9. Its cold pressed version has a smoke point of 250C and can be used as salad dressing or for cooking and frying purposes. Compared to other edible oil, it has less amount of omega6 and a good ratio of Omega 6 and omega 3. It is growing in popularity amongst health-conscious people.

According to my understanding of these vegetable oils, I suggest the use of cold-pressed cooking oil. However good the oil may be promoted as; we should consume in moderation and not exceed 4-6 teaspoon of oil per day. Reusing the heated oil again can prove to be very costly as it may cause unprecedented damage to our body as they will have a high amount of the inflammatory trans-fats. In the United States of America, FDA has banned oils with a trans-fat content of more than 2%. Our country’s health sector should also look into these matters and control the food industry so as to preserve the health of the people in the long run. Restaurants should be informed and restricted to reuse these heated cooking oil. Before we purchase our oil any other food product from the market, we should make a habit of reading the labels and then make an informed decision.