andrewmc reviewed Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
Eye-opening but meandering and occasionally lacking rigour
3 stars
A worthwhile reminder that the industrialised food system is not at all concerned with my health or best interests, and some fantastic interviews and ways of seeing things. Slight conspiracy theorist vibes and a few moments where it felt like the author was drawing unearned conclusions in pursuit of making a point, or drawing too heavily on metaphor and emotion (including an unironic and out of place "the Nazis loved UPF" segment). One example I remember was the chapter on emulsifiers. I was really curious about what the research said about soya lecithins because they are everywhere, and although the book mentioned them it then focused on two totally different old-school emulsifiers before saying "see!? emulsifiers can be harmful for your gut!".