「魔法の粉」の「超加工食品」
「超加工食品」
ニューヨークタイムズのメールにあったので、なんだろう?なんだか物凄いインパクトと思って見てみると、なんのことはない、工場で大量生産され、多くの添加物が含まれた食品のことだった。つまり「超加工食品」とは、インスタントラーメンやソーダ、冷凍食品、スナック菓子、そして加工肉製品(ハムやソーセージなど)のことを言うらしい。
「超加工食品」は、魔法の粉で人を引きつける。魔法の粉、つまり保存料や香料、着色料、食欲をそそる味と香り。超加工食品の魅力はその手軽さと美味しさ。忙しい日々の中で、パパっと食べられる。ただし、多くの超加工食品は、高カロリーで栄養価が低いものが多い。糖分や塩分が多く、心臓病や糖尿病などの生活習慣病を引き起こす可能性も高い。
ここ数日、家族との休日だし、「たまにはいいだろう」と久しぶりにポテトチップスを食べた。気がつけば、次から次へと手が伸びる。これこそ超加工食品の罠。依存性が高く、一度手を出すとやめられない。で、ここ数日でいっきに3kgほど太っていた。
超加工食品で死んだってその人が幸せなら、それも良い。ただ、美味しいものを食べる幸せもいいけれど、健康でいられることの方も大事。うまみ調味料満タンで、美味しくて手軽。そんな超加工食品の誘惑には気をつけないといけない。特に歳をとったら、幸せな食生活を送りながらも、健康で充実した人生を楽しむために、バランスを考えた選択をしていきたいものだ。
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“Ultra-processed food.
I saw this in an email from the New York Times and wondered what it was. I thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be nothing of the sort: mass-produced, factory-farmed food with lots of additives. In other words, ‘ultra-processed foods’ are instant noodles, fizzy drinks, frozen foods, snacks and processed meat products (such as ham and sausages).
Ultra-processed foods attract people with a magic powder. Magic powders – preservatives, flavourings, colourings, appetising tastes and aromas. The appeal of ultra-processed foods is their ease and taste. They can be eaten in a jiffy in the middle of a busy day. However, many ultra-processed foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value. They are high in sugar and salt and are likely to contribute to lifestyle diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
In the last few days I have eaten crisps for the first time in a long time because it was a family holiday and I thought “it’s good to have them now and again”. I found myself reaching for one after the other. This is the trap of ultra-processed foods. They are highly addictive and once you start eating them, you can’t stop. And in the last few days I’ve suddenly put on about 3 kilos.
If a person is happy to die from ultra-processed food, that’s fine. But while the pleasure of eating good food is good, it is also important to stay healthy. They are full of umami flavour, tasty and easy to eat. You have to be careful about the temptation of these ultra-processed foods. Especially as we get older, we need to make balanced choices in order to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life while eating happily.