A study published this year in the British Medical Journal revealed that Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) are linked with 32 harmful effects to health, in what is the world’s largest review of its kind.
With some of the effects including increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, adverse mental health and even early death, people are naturally concerned about what these foods could be doing to our bodies.
However, Tim Spector, a doctor in the UK that co-founded the nutrition app ZOE, has revealed that there are some processed foods that are actually very good for us and potentially even better than their fresh counterparts.
The processed food that is actually good for you
Speaking on Instagram, the expert said: “In the UK we eat more ultra-processed food than any other country in Europe.
“We need to know exactly what we’re eating and a great example is tomatoes. They contain lots of polyphenols, particularly one you may have heard of, called lycopene.”
Spector explained that tomatoes on their own would be classified as ‘unprocessed’.
He then gestured to tinned tomatoes and said: “Then you’ve got these other ones which you might be worried about because they can come in tins or cans, this is category three. Nothing to be worried about.
“Virtually all of these are really good for you and sometimes might actually have more nutrients than in the raw state”.
This correlates with what Dr Emily Prpa, nutritionist and Science Manager at Yakult said to HuffPost UK earlier this year about tinned foods: “Tinned pulses like beans, lentils, and chickpeas are versatile and packed with protein and fibre.
“They can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to salads while tinned tomatoes are perfect for recipes like ragu and curry.”
Super healthy and affordable? Sold.