Tim Spector explains diet to battle high blood pressure and inflammation

A nutritional scientist has spoken out about ‘high quality’ foods and what it actually means. Professor Tim Spector has spoken many times about the health perils of ultra-processed foods - which can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes and obesity.

The founder of the Zoe health app and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London said that switching diets could have a massive impact on long-term health. In a new post on Instagram, he tried to explain what eating healthily actually means.

He said: “I’m always talking about trying to pick high-quality foods, but what actually do I mean by that? Well, it means minimally processed. They’re often packed with fibre and helpful chemicals like polyphenols for your gut microbes.

“These are lost in the ultra-processed foods, and it’s impossible to give up ultra-processed foods for most of us. Do try and add some high-quality foods to your diet. Just a few extra ones a day will make a huge difference to your long-term health.

Prof Spector said: “I often talk about focusing on food quality, but what does this actually mean? Generally speaking, high-quality foods are whole foods which are as close to their original form as possible. Think fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, pulses as well as seafood and animal products.

“These foods are packed with fibre and polyphenols to support your gut health and have an intact food matrix meaning their nutrients are absorbed more slowly than ultra-processed foods, reducing the chances of large sugar and fat peaks. Research consistently shows that having a high-quality dietary pattern is linked to lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.”

Figures show that in the year to November 2022, 63.8% of adults aged 18 and over were overweight or living with obesity – up by 0.5% from the previous year. Almost one in four children aged 10 and 11 in England are obese, according to the largest study of its kind – a finding that experts say exposes the “profound” and “alarming” long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Obesity rates increased by 45% in four-to-five-year-olds and by 21% in 10-to-11-year-olds during the first year of lockdowns, the analysis involving more than 1 million children published earlier this year revealed. Prof Spector added: “In the UK, we have the highest consumption of ultra-processed foods in Europe, with 57% of our food intake coming from UPFs. While UPFs are unavoidable, my advice is to focus on adding in as many high-quality foods as possible to improve your overall diet quality and benefit your long-term health.”