
The Law of Unintended Consequences: Why Processed Foods are Killing Us
The Law of Unintended Consequences: Why Processed Foods are Killing Us
The History of Food Processing
Early humans processed food through cooking, drying, fermenting, and smoking to make it last longer.
The Industrial Revolution led to cities growing, making it harder for people to get fresh food.
Scientists created food processing techniques to improve shelf life, removing parts that spoiled quickly.
Over time, these removed parts were found to be essential nutrients, leading to deficiency
diseases.
The Problem with Processed Foods
When food is refined, it loses fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients.
Food scientists tried to fix this by adding synthetic nutrients back, a process called
fortification. While this helped with deficiency diseases like rickets and goiters, processed foods still caused long-term health problems.
Processed Carbohydrates and Sugars
Refined grains (like white flour and white rice) lose fiber and nutrients, making them less healthy. Sugar refining removed natural fiber and nutrients, leaving only empty calories.
Removing fiber from foods increases blood sugar levels, raising the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Fiber helps protect against heart disease, cancer, and gut problems, yet it's often missing in processed foods.
Processed Proteins and Industrial Farming
Early humans got protein from animals they hunted, which had healthier nutrient profiles. Industrial farming moved animals indoors, feeding them processed grains instead of grass.
This changed the amino acid profile in meat, making it less healthy and increasing risks of metabolic disorders.
Processed meats and grain-fed animals contribute to diseases like obesity and heart disease.
Processed Fats and the Rise of Artificial Oils
Natural fats (like butter and lard) were replaced with vegetable oils and trans fats after WWI.
Hydrogenated fats (like Crisco) were heavily marketed as healthier but later found to cause heart disease.
Industrialized animal farming removed Vitamin K2, an important nutrient that prevents heart disease and strengthens bones.
Vitamin K2, once naturally found in grass-fed animal products, is now missing in many modern diets.
The Unintended Health Consequences
Processing food helped solve food shortages, but it created new problems, like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
The focus of modern medicine is on treating diseases rather than preventing them through better nutrition.
Many people rely on vitamin supplements instead of eating whole, unprocessed foods.
Western diets are now filled with artificial additives, synthetic nutrients, and processed ingredients that harm long-term health.
The Need for Change
Instead of adding artificial nutrients back into processed foods, we should focus on eating whole, natural foods.
Traditional diets rich in whole grains, fiber, healthy fats, and grass-fed animal products provide better health benefits. If processed foods continue to dominate diets, chronic diseases will keep rising, shortening lifespans worldwide.
Conclusion:
Processing food to make it last longer and feed growing populations had unintended consequences. While it solved short-term problems, it created long-term health issues that are now killing people. The best solution is to return to real, unprocessed foods that naturally contain the nutrients our bodies need.
Weltrio Win: Dawn’s Bone-Boosting Breakthrough
Dawn, a dedicated employee in her 60s, had been struggling with osteoporosis. She followed her doctor’s advice—taking calcium and vitamin D—but her DEXA scans weren’t improving. Frustrated, she shared her concerns with Monique, her Weltrio coach.
Monique introduced Dawn to Vitamin K2, explaining that it helps calcium go to the bones instead of arteries, reducing the risk of both osteoporosis and heart disease. Together, they explored natural sources like grass-fed dairy, eggs, and fermented foods, and found a high-quality K2 supplement.
Excited, Dawn made simple changes, incorporating K2-rich foods into her diet. When Dawn had her follow-up DEXA scan, it showed improvement, and she felt stronger. She couldn’t believe something so simple had been missing from her routine!
Thanks to Monique’s guidance, Dawn not only protected her bones and heart, but also gained confidence in her health choices—a true Weltrio Win!
How Weltrio Can Help
At Weltrio, we believe education is the key to better health. Many chronic diseases stem from a lack of knowledge, not just poor choices. By reaching people one by one, we empower them with the right information to take control of their health.
Instead of just treating symptoms, we educate from the inside out—helping individuals understand how nutrition, movement, and mindset impact their well-being. When people learn the "why" behind their health, they make better decisions, leading to lasting change.
Healthcare transformation doesn’t start at the top—it begins with individuals, making informed choices every day. By addressing issues person by person, from the bottom up, Weltrio is building a healthier future—one conversation, one breakthrough, and one life at a time.
References:
Baraldi, L. G., Martinez Steele, E., Canella, D. S., & Monteiro, C. A. (2018). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and associated sociodemographic factors in the USA between 2007 and
2012: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 8(3), e020574. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020574.
Bishai, D., & Nalubola, R. (2002). The History of Food Fortification in the United States: Its Relevance for Current Fortification Efforts in Developing Countries. Economic Development and
Cultural Change, 51(1), 37–53. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/edcc/current.
Bloomgarden, Z. (2018). Diabetes and branched-chain amino acids: What is the link? Journal of Diabetes, 10(5), 350–352. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.1111/1753-0407.12645.
Cordain, L., Eaton, S. B., Sebastian, A., Mann, N., Lindeberg, S., Watkins, B. A., O'Keefe, J. H., & Brand-Miller, J. (2005). Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 81(2), 341–354. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn.81.2.341.
Desai, M. S., Seekatz, A. M., Koropatkin, N. M., Kamada, N., Hickey, C. A., Wolter, M., Pudlo, N. A., Kitamoto, S., Terrapon, N., Muller, A., Young, V. B., Henrissat, B., Wilmes, P., Stappenbeck, T.
S., Núñez, G., & Martens, E. C. (2016). A Dietary Fiber-Deprived Gut Microbiota Degrades the Colonic Mucus Barrier and Enhances Pathogen Susceptibility. Cell, 167(5), 1339–1353.e21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.043.
Dhaka, V., Gulia, N., Ahlawat, K. S., & Khatkar, B. S. (2011). Trans fats-sources, health risks and alternative approach - A review. Journal of food science and technology, 48(5), 534–541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-010-0225-8.
Dietary Reference Intakes: Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labeling and Fortification. (2003). National Academies Press.
Flour. (2020). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1.
Giaccone, V., Cammilleri, G., Di Stefano, V., Pitonzo, R., Vella, A., Pulvirenti, A., Lo Dico, G. M., Ferrantelli, V., & Macaluso, A. (2017). First report on the presence of Alloxan in bleached flour by LC-MS/MS method. Journal of Cereal Science, 77, 120–125. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.1016/j.jcs.2017.06.015.
Grant S. B., Thomas M., Brandon M., Charles B., & Franklin D. S. (2016). Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) Supplementation and its Benefits in Cardiovascular Disease, Osteoporosis, and Cancer. Marshall Journal of Medicine, 2(3), 53–66. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.18590/mjm.2016.vol2.iss3.8.
King D. E. (2005). Dietary fiber, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. Molecular nutrition & food research, 49(6), 594–600. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.200400112.
Kosecki, D. (2009). Health Hearsay : “Is white flour bleached with dangerous chemicals?” Prevention, 11.
Lustig, R. H. (2018). The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains. Penguin Random House LLC.
Lustig, R. H., Sen, S., Soberman, J. E., & Velasquez-Mieyer, P. A. (2004). Obesity, leptin resistance, and the effects of insulin reduction. International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 28(10), 1344–1348. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802753.
McRae, M. P. (2018). Dietary Fiber Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 17(1), 44–53. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.1016/j.jcm.2017.11.002.
Numrah N., Faiza M., Arifa T., Rashad Q., Yodong Y., Muhammad I. K., & Fuyou W. (2020). Proximate composition, functional properties and quantitative analysis of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in wheat flour samples: effect on wheat flour quality. PeerJ, 8, e8788. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uvu.edu/10.7717/peerj.8788.
Perren, R. (2005). Farmers and Consumers under Strain: Allied Meat Supplies in the First World War. The Agricultural History Review, 53(2), 212-228.
Price, W. (1945). Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, Inc., La Mesa, California.
Rheaume-Bleue, K. (2012). Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox, how a little-known vitamin could save your life. Collins.
Soliman G. A. (2019). Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients, 11(5), 1155. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051155.
Taubes, G. (2016). The Case Against Sugar. Alfred A. Knopf.
Teicholz, N. (2014). The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
Tucker, B. (1981). The Merchant, the Manufacturer, and the Factory Manager: The Case of Samuel Slater. The Business History Review, 55(3), 297-313. www.jstor.org/stable/3114126.
Vitamin supplements. (2013, January 7). Mena Report.
Whitney, E., Rolfes, S.R. (2019). Understanding Nutrition, Fifteenth Edition. Cengage.
Wilder, R. M. (1956). A brief history of the enrichment of flour and bread. Journal of the American Medical Association, 162(17), 1539–1541.
Women’s History, (2017, May 11). How Highly Processed Foods Liberated 1950s Housewives. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/how-highly-processed-foods-liberated-1950s-housewives.