The true horror of the ultra-processed food dominating our diets – by doctor who ate it for a month in the name of science
- Doctor Chris van Tulleken got 80 per cent of his diet from ultra-processed food
- Click here to read an exclusive extract from his startling new book at The Mail+
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);
<!–
The ultra-processed food takeover of our supermarket shelves has reached a crescendo.
From ready meals to frozen desserts, even the majority of bread is ultra-processed, crammed with sugar, salt and a bewildering array of preservatives.
But just how bad for your health is it to tuck into a bowl of ultra-processed cereal for breakfast, or to gulp down a pre-packaged sandwich from the high street?
To get answers, Doctor Chris van Tulleken embarked on a month-long experiment, getting 80 per cent of his diet from UPF. And the results make for stomach-churning reading.
Dr Chris van Tulleken was left aching, tired and angry – and felt like he had aged ten years
In just a few weeks, he gained 6kg (just under one stone). He was left aching, tired and angry – and felt like he had aged ten years. More terrifying still, MRI scans at the end of the experiment revealed his brain had started to develop new pathways, something more associated with addictive drugs than food.
Could UPF be as addictive as alcohol or drugs? Dr van Tulleken thinks so, saying: ‘Until recently, most scientists believed it was impossible for food to be addictive. Yet I know from my experience that I felt very strongly “addicted” to certain types of UPF (chiefly takeaways).’
Click here to read the first extract of Dr van Tulleken new book on The Mail+, as a major new series begins in the Mail – Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food… and Why Can’t We Stop?
Comments 236
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.