Trying to stay healthy can seem like a full-time job sometimes, especially with all the conflicting

information that's out there.

But I'm here to make that job a little easier.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Did you know that excess consumption of certain ultra-processed foods

is linked to increased risk of disease and death?

Well, today we'll explore the public health implications

of full or partial replacement of animal products

with ultra-processed plant-based products and with whole-plant foods.

How about a century ago, in the context of nutrient deficiency

diseases. So there were editorials with titles like Sugar as Food, heralding sugar as

sugar as one of the cheapest sources of calories for mere six cents. You could buy 3,000 calories.

What a bargain.

But the nutrient deficiency era gave way to the dietary excess era.

No longer were we dying of nutrient deficiency diseases like scurvy as much as we were dying from nutrient excess diseases, like obesity

and heart disease. So it became more about avoiding too many calories, too much saturated fat,

too much sugar, too much sodium, but either way still focused on nutrients. This allowed food companies to get away with abominations like

frosting-filled cereal because it was fortified with 12 vitamins and minerals 50% better than

the measly ate in marshmallow fruit loops. However, food, not

nutrients, is the fundamental unit in nutrition, and to their credit, the field nutrition started

moving towards a more holistic view. So, first-generation dietary guidelines emphasized individual nutrients,

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