In Canada, nearly half of an adult’s daily diet is comprised of ultra-processed food, according to 2017 research by Heart & Stroke. With each 10 per cent increase in the amount of ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, researchers found a 14 per cent higher risk of premature mortality. High in salt, saturated fat and sugar, ultra-processed foods go through multiple industrial manipulations before they reach our mouths, including extrusion, hydrogenation and hydrolysis. Our global appetite for ultra-processed food “has largely increased during the past several decades,” they added. Researchers unrelated to the study have pointed out “its many limitations,” including a vague definition of ultra-processed foods encompassing a wide range of food types.

Source: National Post February 13, 2019 18:33 UTC