Processed food ‘should be avoided’

Eating processed food should be avoided where possible, according to one expert who has highlighted the numerous negative effects on health that such a diet can have.

Alison Wyndham, physiotherapist and complementary health practitioner, and owner of The Wyndham Centres, said the general quality of food that people eat in the UK is not good enough.

She explained that too many diets contain high proportions of processed food, which has been heated so that vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients are destroyed.

It has then been further deprived of nutrients by modern processing methods that advocate preserving, freezing, heating, canning and colouring, she added.

"It is high in trans-fats of all kinds and sugar. In 1990 the average consumption of sugar was 10lbs per person annually, it is now 120lbs. The average diet has nine grams a day when the recommended daily intake of salt is two grams," Ms Wyndham explained.

The expert added that salt increases the thickness of blood and slows down the flow, causing an increase in blood pressure.

"Most processed foods are loaded with all kinds of additives like stabilisers, preservatives, artificial colouring and flavouring agents that are foreign chemicals and put an additional load on the body," she noted.

The key, therefore, is to buy fresh food and ensure that a diet is balanced, with a minimal amount of processed food.

Does your diet include lots of processed food?