What happens when you cut your intake of ultra-processed foods?
More than half of the calories consumed by the average American are from nutritionally empty, sugar-, fat- and salt-loaded, artificially manufactured, ultra-processed foods, defined as "industrial formulations with five or more ingredients." That adds up to a hugely increased risk for heart disease, stroke, erectile dysfunction, obesity, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, dementia and other chronic conditions.
We know ditching those pre-packed goodies all at once is tough. But would you be willing to eliminate half of those foods from your diet for two months? Could you ditch processed meats and opt for grilled, skinless chicken breast instead? Skip sugar-coated, multi-colored breakfast cereal and have a bowl of no-fat plain yogurt with berries? You can still munch the crunch of flavored chips. Or eat that white-flour bagel. The rewards will be amazing.
That's what researchers from Drexel University found when they had 14 folks who were overweight or had obesity cut their intake of ultra-processed foods by around 50%. That immediately took 600 calories a day off their plate and cut sugar consumption in half, saturated fat consumption by 37% and salt intake by 28%. As a result, the folks lost almost 8 pounds -- and said they had more energy and felt happier.
To help you give this experiment a try, take a look at Dr. Mike's books "What to Eat When" and "The What to Eat When Cookbook." And to discover true comfort foods, check out "How to Combat Stress and Anxiety with Foods Calming to the Nervous System" at iHerb.com/blog.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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