H Food eres a statistic that might shock you: its thought that more than 50 per cent of our diet is now made up from ultraprocessed foods (or UPFs). By this, we mean foods that have been subjected to extensive processing methods, and contain a whole host of artificial ingredients, additives and preservatives. With the season to be jolly upon us, its likely that well be consuming more than our fair share of UPFs in the coming weeks. A growing body of research indicates that excessive consumption of UPFs can have a significant impact on our health. Two large studies, revealed at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, have recently shown high consumption can raise the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, for example, and other evidence suggests UPFs are linked to conditions such as obesity, cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and depression. How to spot UPFs You might think UPFs are simply junk food by another name, but thats not exactly the case. Common ultra-processed foods consumed in the UK are things such as crisps, sauces and dressings, ready meals, biscuits, breakfast cereals and flavoured yoghurts, says nutritional therapist Lucia Stansbie foodpowernutrition.com). (foodpowernutrition.com). And there are also lots of UPFs that you might believe to be healthier options for example protein shakes and snack bars, gluten-free bread, lentil-based crisps, and cereals with added vitamins and minerals. As Lucia explains, the best way to spot them is to check for ingredients that you cant pronounce, that you cant find in your kitchen cupboard or that dont exist naturally. If somethings got a long list of things like this on the back of them, the chances are youre looking at a UPF. However, you dont need to cut them out completely, just be aware of them and try to moderate your consumption. The impact on arthritis So, what bearing does this have on arthritis? Ultra-processed foods can potentially have a negative impact on arthritis symptoms, particularly for individuals with inflammatory types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, explains registered nutritionist Caroline Farrell (carolinefarrell.com). First, they often have a high sugar content which can lead to increased inflammation markers in the body, exacerbating arthritis symptoms, she says. Certain additives and artificial ingredients often found in UPFs, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), have also been reported to trigger or worsen joint pain in some individuals with 38 versusarthritis.org PP37-39_Inspire_Winter 2023_UPFs.indd 38 14/11/2023 12:04