Some foods perceived as healthy (fruit juices, rice cakes, plant-based steaks, industrial bread, 0% fat yogurts, protein bars) are in reality ultra-processed products or glycemic traps that are detrimental to health.

noli's read

Dr. Aude Bru highlights a documented reality: wellness marketing often masks the excessive processing of foods. The NOVA classification (a nutrition research standard) confirms that ultra-processed products are associated with increased risks to metabolic health (meta-analysis, BMJ 2019). The argument regarding fruit juices holds, as the absence of a fibrous matrix leads to rapid sugar absorption (observational studies, Nutrition Reviews). Regarding rice cakes, their high glycemic index is a technically accurate fact, although their overall impact depends on the quantity consumed. For plant-based steaks and protein bars, the findings concerning additives and texturizing agents are well-founded, although these products vary greatly in quality depending on the brand. The term 'sabotage' is a strong interpretation, as health depends on the overall dietary balance and not on the isolated consumption of one product. There is no evidence that these foods are systematically 'inflammatory' for everyone, but they are indeed less nutrient-dense than their whole-food alternatives.

the sources

1. 1Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. 2019
2. 2Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, et al. 2024
3. 3Malik VS, Hu FB 2019
4. 4Yang Q, Zhang Z, Gregg EW, et al. 2014
5. 5Westwater ML, Fletcher PC, Ziauddeen H 2016