Critical Reflection: Dr. Rath's Publications on Ultra-Processed Foods

This reflective journal entry examines the dangers of ultra-processed foods, drawing on Dr. Rath's research and publications. The author discusses the link between these foods and increased mortality rates, obesity, and chronic illnesses, citing studies that highlight the high sugar, salt, and fat content, as well as the presence of chemical additives in these foods. The reflection also explores the influence of the food industry, societal changes, and intensive agriculture practices on the consumption of ultra-processed foods and their impact on health. The author agrees with Dr. Rath's perspective on the need for improved healthcare systems, promoting organic food production, and the importance of micronutrients in preventing diseases, ultimately urging for a shift away from reliance on the pharmaceutical industry and towards a focus on natural therapeutic approaches. The author also discusses the need to improve food systems, such as adopting the dietary patterns of the Mediterranean region. The author also mentions Dr. Rath's work on micronutrients and their impact on health. The author urges readers to take action now since the adverse effects of intensive agriculture and ultra-processed foods have been seen across the globe.

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Reflecting Dr.
Rath’s
publications on
the effects of
ultra-processed
foods

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My reflection investigates the dangers associated with ultra-processed foods. Dr. Radh’s
study confirms that these foods increase the risk of dying at an early age. Many studies have
reported that every 10% increase in the consumption of diets increases the risk of death with 14
%. Examples of ultra-processed foods include packaged snacks, white bread, sugary cereals,
meals that are ready to eat or heat, potato chips fizzy drinks, confectionaries. These ultra-
processed foods are made using ingredients extracted from food substances and some are
synthesized using flavours, additives, and dyes. They have high amounts of sugar, salt and fat, a
high number of calories with low fiber content. Apart from these, ultra-processed foods contain
different chemical additives. These foods not only increase the risk of death but also cause
obesity which has become a problem throughout the world (Germov, 2014). The changes that
have been witnessed within the food industry has continued to promote obesity (Monteiro et al.,
2013, p.22).
There are various prospective studies which have been conducted to evaluate the
connection between obesity and dietary elements. Three American cohort groups were analyzed
and the results showed that the intake of desserts, sweets, fries, processed meats, and sugar-
sweetened drinks were strongly linked to weight gain among the grownups (da Costa Louzada et
al., 2015, p.12). The intensification of consuming the processed foods stem from erosion of the
traditionally accepted norms and the modernization of the societies. For instance, many women
buy processed foods for their families and not prepare fresh foods because they work for long
hours. Obesity is also in the increase because of the lack of exercises and car usage (Germov,
2014).
I agree with Dr. Rath that ultra-processed foods contribute to approximately 60% of the
diet of people in the UK, USA, and Canada. Various studies have shown a link between the

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intake of these foods and the risk of obesity as well as the metabolic pattern in adults and
teenagers. In young children of between 4-9 years, these foods increase the LDL cholesterol and
the total cholesterol. This problem has also been witnessed in China and across Africa.
Various studies that have been conducted show that the soils which support the crops
have been destroyed by the intensive methods of agriculture, such as excessive use of synthetic
fertilizers. This has made the crops to lose their nutritive contents. Thus, it is hardly possible to
get all the required microelements from the crops we grow.
The foodstuff that lacks the essential nutrients has created room for the present-day
global food industry which is basically regarded as “business with disease”. This food industry is
producing ultra-processed foods in huge quantities and promoting them globally. They are poor
in nutrients and calorie dense. The consumption of the ultra-processed foods is intensifying the
prevalence of chronic illnesses which in turn brings a huge benefit to the pharmaceutical
industry. There is, therefore, a need to create a different system of healthcare which is based on
natural therapeutic approaches in order to free the society from the dependency on the global
food industry and pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Rath urges the societies to improve their healthcare systems by growing their own
food, using organic methods and these will provide them with natural medicines. These food
crops should not be ultra-processed and should be cultivated free from synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides. Such foods will be very rich in vitamins, essential micronutrients and free from
GMOs. I agree with Dr. Rath that the time to make these changes effective is now since the
adverse effects of the intensive methods of agriculture together with the ultra-processed foods
have been seen almost everywhere across the globe (Hankey, 2017, p. 3170).

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Many studies promote and enhance sustainable and healthy food standards through
behavioral and structural changes. The societies should be able to improve their food systems in
order to supply healthy and nutritious foods and also promote healthier food adoptions. The
societies can achieve this by encouraging its people to adopt the dietary patterns of the
Mediterranean region. These dietary patterns are associated with reduced rates of weight gain
and low cholesterol levels since the diets mainly consist of fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil,
nuts, and legumes. These foods are mainly eaten raw and fresh. Various studies have shown that
such foods have the potential to protect against the development of pf chronic illnesses
(Kennedy, 2018, p 902).
Many people around the world are losing their lives through heart associated illnesses
and stroke. High levels of cholesterol in the blood, fatty diets, as well as obesity, are the primary
causes of heart diseases and stroke. The pharma industry provides drugs to reduce cholesterol
levels as well as advising people to cut down the intake of dietary fats. However, this has not
provided any solution to address the issue, since there are no conventional drugs manufactured
yet that can effectively low the blood cholesterol levels. Instead, these drugs weaken the walls of
arteries which predominantly results from a lack of vitamin C and other essential micronutrients
in the diets (Jayedi et al., 2019, p. 6).
The message Dr. Rath wants to bring home is for the people to stop relying on the
pharma industry and instead focus on growing their food organically. Such foods contain
sufficient amounts of vitamin C. In his work, Dr. Rath used a mouse model to mimic the
metabolism mechanism in humans in which he demonstrated that Lp(a) was synthesized if
vitamin C was deficient. If the Lp(a) accumulates in the body, the risk of atherosclerosis
increases and this results in heart diseases and stroke ((Jayedi et al., 2018, p 703). If the diets are

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supplemented with vitamin C, the levels of Lp(a) get reduced and likewise the factors associated
with strokes and heart attacks. This groundbreaking truth on health matters has attracted furious
attacks from the multitrillion-dollar pharma industry (Germov, 2014).
Dr. Rath has demonstrated that the synthetic drugs do not treat the primary causes of the
high levels of blood cholesterol. He also was able to show that the underlying cause of heart
diseases and the waning of the walls of arteries is indeed not cholesterol rather it is the lack of
vitamin C and other essential micronutrients which can be provided in the diet and thus
providing sufficient amounts of these in the diet can naturally prevent heart diseases and strokes
without the administration of conventional medicine (Jayedi et al., 2019, p 8).
Several studies have shown that so many deaths are caused by kidney cancers across all
the gender, although men have a higher risk than women. In some recent study conducted by Dr.
Rath, he showed that the administration of a certain combination of micronutrients could induce
apoptosis on cancer cells while the micronutrients preserved the healthy kidney cells (Bonfili et
al., 2017, p. 1730).
In another study, Dr. Rath demonstrated that the mixture of proline, lysine, vitamin C and
green tea extracts could block the function of the enzymes that degrade collagen --
metalloproteinases (MMPs – which are needed to allow the spread of cancer cells (Roomi et al.,
2014, p. 989). During the onset of the development of cancer, the patient’s healthy cells try to
make MMP enzymes inhibitors (TIMPs) so as to try to slow down the spread of malignant cells.
His research reported that the combination of these micronutrients increased TIMPs production,
which further helped to block the spread of the malignant cells in the kidney (Jayedi et al., 2018,
p 703).

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References
Bonfili, L., Cecarini, V., Cuccioloni, M., Angeletti, M., Flati, V., Corsetti, G., Pasini, E.,
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J.C., Levy, R.B., Cannon, G., Afshin, A., Imamura, F. and Mozaffarian, D., 2015.
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Monteiro, C.A., Moubarac, J.C., Cannon, G., Ng, S.W. and Popkin, B., 2013. Ultra‐processed
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