Are All Ultra-Processed Foods Equally Harmful? What Women Need to Know

Ultra-processed foods make up a significant part of the modern diet. But identifying them is not always as simple as checking the nutrition label, and not every food in this broad category may affect your health in the same way.In this solo episode, Dr. Pat McShane breaks down how foods are classified, what makes a product ultra-processed, and why certain options deserve greater concern than others. She examines how these foods may influence fullness, inflammation, the microbiome, metabolic health, and chronic disease risk. She also offers practical ways to make healthier choices without expecting every meal to be prepared from scratch.- - - - -Dr. McShane is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She earned her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She then pursued her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Boston Hospital for Women, followed by completing her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.In addition to Dr. McShane’s extensive experience with treating infertility, she has dedicated decades of her career to educating the next generation of reproductive endocrinologists. Dr. McShane has served as an instructor in OB/GYN at Boston Hospital for Women, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, UMass Medical Center, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.After her initial practice with reproductive-aged women, mostly seeking fertility, Dr. McShane became focused on the health of postmenopausal women following her own life journey and founded a video series.She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). To further pursue her deep interest in women’s health in developing countries, Dr. McShane completed her Certificate in Global Public Health in May 2014 at Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. McShane has authored reports and abstracts on topics such as in vitro fertilization, preimplantation genetic testing, and fertility preservation.- - - - - Dr. Pat McShane, MDLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-mcshane-0535ba3/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.womenshealthspan.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@mcshanepmcshane9303⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@patmcshane⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Produced by DrTalks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drtalks.com/podcast/