The Hidden History Behind Ultra-Processed Foods And What It Means for Your Fertility
If you're trying to conceive, understanding where our food came from might be the game-changer you need.
Humans have processed food for millennia - from Neanderthals cooking meat to Civil War soldiers eating canned fruit. But something fundamentally shifted in the late 1800s when food companies began creating products wildly different from anything people could make at home.
Fast forward to WWII: shelf-stable foods like powdered cheese and melt-resistant chocolate were developed for soldiers, packed with new preservatives and additives. By the 1970s, agricultural innovations created a grain surplus, and corn and wheat were transformed into cheap ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and modified starches.
Then came the 1980s plot twist: tobacco giants Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds bought major food companies like Kraft and Nabisco. They applied the same marketing expertise used to sell cigarettes to engineer hyper-palatable snacks designed to trigger cravings.
Why this matters for fertility: Ultra-processed foods are linked to hormonal disruption, inflammation, and metabolic changes that can affect egg quality, sperm health, and reproductive function.
Your Action Plan
Stop buying packaged foods with long ingredient lists. If you can't pronounce it, your body might struggle to process it.
Focus on whole foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, eggs, quality proteins, and healthy fats.
Cook at home when possible - even simple meals make a difference.
Read labels: Minimize foods with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, natural or artificial flavors.
Small changes compound. Your body and your future baby will thank you.
This post was inspired by recent reporting from The New York Times on ultra-processed foods.
References:
Callahan A. A turning point for ultraprocessed foods. The New York Times. December 13, 2024. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/podcasts/the-daily/ultraprocessed-foods.html
van Tulleken C. Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop?Cornerstone Press; 2023.
