This Is What I Think of Ultra Processed Foods: Dr. Chris Gardner

The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee

Physicians Committee

Carroll, Health & Fitness, Diabetes, Science, Nutrition, Vegan, Pcrm, Barnard, Weightloss, Food, Health, Recipes, Medicine, Diet

4.9 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nutrition scientist Dr. Christopher Gardner is at the forefront of the debate on ultra processed foods (UPFs). Some experts say you should avoid them entirely, while others (including the American Heart Association) argue that certain processed foods can fit into a healthy diet.

Dr. Gardner joins Chuck Carroll at the International Conference on Nutrition and Medicine (ICNM) to help cut through the confusion and conflicting advice.

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, you’ll learn:

- What “ultra processed foods” really are

- Why not all UPFs are equally harmful

- The surprising reasons some healthier foods cost more

- The top food additives and ingredients to avoid

- How to read labels to make smarter choices

If you feel like you’ve raised your health IQ, please leave a 5-star rating and nice review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Discover Dr. Neal Barnard’s advice about which processed foods are healthy.

About Us
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today, on the exam room.
0:04.0	If you look at many tomato sauces, and I did, I went to my local store,
0:09.0	and I found nine kinds of tomato sauce.
0:12.0	And I had read on the internet that they were sort of an exception
0:16.0	because they actually had tomatoes and garlic and onion and herbs and spices
0:20.0	and high fructose corn syrup which made them
0:23.9	ultra-processed but that's not like multicolored marshmallows or neon gogurt or cheese whiz it's like
0:31.1	there's a little touch of sugar in this tomato sauce that we're serving the kids on a pasta or something
0:37.2	like that is that as bad as all the other shouldn't we focus serving the kids on a pasta or something like that. Is that as bad as
0:39.7	all the other? Shouldn't we focus on the multicolored marshmallows before we focus on tomato sauce?
0:46.9	Welcome to the exam room podcast brought to you by the physicians committee. Hi, I'm the weight
0:52.2	loss champion Chuck Carroll, raising health IQs coast to coast and around the world. Hi, I'm the weight loss champion Chuck Carroll, raising health
0:54.4	IQs coast to coast and around the world. Hi to the exam room. He's listening in Fontana, California,
1:01.4	Durham, North Carolina, and Melbourne, Australia. Wherever you are, we appreciate you helping to make
1:07.8	the world a healthier place. This is episode 70 of season 8, number 669 overall.
1:15.1	And you know, here on the exam room, we do our best to raise your health IQs.
1:20.1	And all we ask in return is that you leave a five-star rating and a nice review on Apple
1:24.6	podcast or wherever it is that you get your shows.
1:27.4	And in that review, let us know how the show has helped to raise your health IQ.
1:31.7	We would love to hear that.
1:34.1	Okay, Roommies, let's talk about today now, because today we are diving deep into the world
1:39.3	of ultra-processed foods with the one and only Dr. Christopher Gardner. So buckle up because we are about
	...

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