PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Many packaged foods touted as “healthy” may not be as good for health as people think them to be, health experts warn. Products such as flavored yogurt, breakfast cereals, granola bars, packaged fruit juices, health drinks and multigrain biscuits are often advertised as natural, low-fat, high-protein and multigrain, even though they may contain high amounts of sugar, salt and other added ingredients.
Gastroenterologist Siddhant Khanna said that eating too many processed foods might affect gut health because they often contain added substances that may change the balance of good bacteria in the digestive system. “Many processed foods contain ingredients that can disturb the natural balance of good bacteria in the gut, which are important for overall health. Eating such foods regularly can lead to problems such as bloating, gas, acidity and other digestive issues,” he said.
Khanna added that soft drinks and packaged fruit juices might also affect digestive health because they often contain a lot of added sugar and do not provide the fibre found in the whole fruits. He advised people to eat fewer packaged and processed foods and instead choose a balanced diet with enough protein and fresh foods.
Dietitian Parul Goel said that people should not trust the claims written on the front of food packets without checking the details. “Many products carrying labels such as multigrain, low-fat, high-protein or natural may still contain large amounts of added sugar, salt and other ingredients. Consumers should read nutrition information and ingredient lists carefully instead of relying only on the advertisements,” she said.
Goel further said that breakfast cereals, granola bars and health drinks are often promoted as healthy options, though they might contain as much sugar as sweets. “Packaged fruit juices should not replace whole fruits because they contain less fibre and may increase sugar intake,” she added.
Sharing more, she said that the health halo effect makes people assume that a product is healthy. “This is simply because of certain words or pictures used cleverly in advertisements and on packaging,” she noted and suggested healthier options such as fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, homemade snacks, yogurt and foods, which are less processed.
