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

“Our bodies are much more like societies than mechanical entities.”

Van Tulleken describes how he reappraised his view of the human body based on a 2014 scientific paper. The paper suggests that dormant viruses continue to live within the body and are held in check by a highly evolved system of immune system defenses and dead viruses. Based on this, he argues that we should not see the body as simply a collection of parts with biological inputs and outputs. Like our immune systems in relation to dormant viruses, the body should be seen as a series of complex ecosystems evolved over millennia to ensure the optimal interaction with our environment.

“We’ve started eating substances constructed from novel molecules and using processes never previously encountered in our evolutionary history.”

Van Tulleken introduces the UPF concept and puts it in an evolutionary context. Namely, UPF involves ingesting chemicals that our bodies have not had time to adapt to. As such, eating UPF involves significant risk for humans, as we do not know that our bodies will be able to safely cope with them.

“Surely it would be simpler and cheaper to use fewer ingredients?”

Van Tulleken examines a paradigmatic example of UPF, mass-produced ice cream. He notes the huge list of ingredients and wonders if having so many would not involve more expense. He quickly discovers, though, that the UPF ingredients in fact save money. This is because the modified starches and oils used can replace more expensive conventional ingredients such as eggs and butter.