The Truth about Processed Food

Almost all of the food we access today is processed in one way or another. This may be bad news for those of you who want to take care of your health and have been encouraged to take food in as raw a form as is possible.

There have been rising concerns about increased occurrence of lifestyle diseases in demographic groups (particularly youth and children) that previously seemed immune. In an era of advocacy, information is readily available on what ails us. However we seem either unable or unwilling to make critical changes in our diets (or some components therein).

In his book, “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal”, Eric Schlosser talks about how large fast food chains literally design food intended to addict the consumer. This involves processing to remove those components of food that make us feel full. Modern fast food is then intended to turn our stomachs into ‘bottomless pits’ that never get satisfied.

Common Foods and their Natural Constituent Components

Maize

In Kenya, you would not be talking about food if you didn’t mention maize (I hear that Americans call it corn). A grain of maize contains three major components namely Bran, Endosperm, and Germ. I know this is Greek to the average Layman so I will explain. Bran is the outer skin. It is in several distinct layers but let’s not delve deeper into that for now.

The endosperm is the starchy part of maize is forms the main part of what we adoringly refer to as ugali. Like the bran, it is also in several layers. The germ is in the centre of the grain and it would be the egg if maize was an animal (am sure you catch my drift).

Wheat

The wheat grain is formed in much the same way as a maize seed and so the components are similar. It is however a much smaller seed in size and even the plant it grows on is significantly different.

Rice

Rice is a common food on Kenyan tables and again, is formed a lot like maize and wheat above. Again, it has bran, endosperm, and germ.

Sugar

Most of our sugar comes from sugar cane. When you chew sugar cane and swallow the juice, you are ingesting mainly sucrose, but also molasses, which contains important mineral components.

What Processing Removes from Our Food

If I may first concentrate on the three grains above whose components are similar, two components are removed. These are the germ, and the bran. The two are used by millers to make other products, mainly animal feeds. You can confirm by visiting an animal feeds supplier and check out if he stocks maize germ and wheat bran. Bran, in addition to providing essential minerals, also plays the critical role of roughage in our diets.

The germ, particularly from maize, in addition to containing useful minerals and proteins, also contains oil. If you didn’t know, Elianto (that popular but expensive brand of cooking oil), is made with oil extracted from maize germ. This is the reason it is referred to as pure corn (maize) oil. Now you know.

When sugar is processed, molasses is removed from it. Molasses contains sodium, calcium, and iron. It is also molasses that contains the beautiful brown hue and so that goes away as well when processing is done.

What Remains after Processing

After food is processed, one thing remains; Calories. The starch from maize, wheat, and rice grains and the sucrose from sugarcane contains largely empty calories. They are referred to as ‘empty’ by nutritionists because they lack the accompanying minerals and roughage that enable the body to make optimum use of them in the body.

The Harm Caused by Processed Foods on the body

Unhealthy Weight Gain

Any calories taken into the body that are not immediately required as a source of energy, are converted into fat for storage. This explains why people who claim to eat ‘very little food’ are still growing fat (pardon my language, ladies). The secret is in ‘power-packed’ processed food.

Low Body Immunity

We are a malnourished generation in spite of having more than enough food to eat. The minerals and vitamins taken away during processing had their work cut out for them before they were given away to the farm animals. Now our bodies cannot defend themselves from even the most mundane of germs. Low immunity also acts as a harbinger for the onset of lifestyle diseases.

A New Form of Addict

Addiction used to be associated with drugs and alcohol. There is however a new form of addict in town. He (or she) is known as a food addict. The slang title is ‘Foodie’. This is the person who craves starchy foods (particularly wheat, but also ugali) to the extent that they feel dizzy and could collapse unless they get their kick.

Clarion Call: Purpose to only consume unprocessed food!