Instinctively, I think we all know that homemade foods are healthier for us than their processed counterparts.
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Processed foods are created to last for many months on a store shelf, while most homemade foods would rot if left on the counter for more than a week. And with all of the preservatives, dyes and chemical additives often included in processed products, who knows if we can even digest them properly in the first place!
Of course, exactly how a processed food digests versus how a homemade food digests in the human body is all just speculation… until a scientific study actually proves it.
And luckily for us, TEDxManhattan 2011 fellow Stefanie Bardin’s video has done just that.
Note: This video is a little graphic–> not recommended viewing during your lunch break!
(click on the video above to watch)
Not surprisingly, the processed Top Ramen Noodles were still in recognizable noodle-form after 2+ hours of digestion, which the researcher jokingly points out is probably due to the fact that “Top Ramen was made to survive Armageddon,” while the homemade ramen noodles, which digested more quickly, were “made to be eaten.”
Particularly memorable for me? How the intestinal tract was tinted greenish-blue from the blue Gatorade!! (As the researcher points out, the blue dye is derived from petroleum… eek.)
Kinda makes you want to reach for some all-natural coconut water for workout fuel instead, doesn’t it?
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Reader Feedback: Does this video change your view on eating processed foods? Are you surprised that there’s a difference between the homemade and processed noodles?
Wow!!! What an amazingly insightful post! I’m totally telling everyone about this video! So awesome! Proof that less processed is always better
Great post! Thanks for helping to raise awareness! I started making most of what I eat from scratch a few years ago due to many of my health issues being related to processed food. That stuff is horrible for you! The more natural, the better! I’m not at all surprised by the difference in noodles. It makes me shudder!
Great video! We have learned so much in the last year about food that we now make it from scratch and are incorporating raw foods daily!
I just came across your site now, but will be visiting more frequently:)
I don’t eat processed food for that reason. I don’t even use food dyes when I make cake icing or ice cream, just natural dyes from food.
The rainbow cake looks nasty.
Love that you found this video, I don’t like processed food exactly for this reason, and they taste like crap. Nice to have something to back it up with!
Oh my goodness. That creeps me right out that the intestinal tract are dyed blue from gatorade. It made me cringe. I guess that’s the point though
Processed definitely isn’t what I even consider food, and this is why.
[...] one that is not processed, full of nutrients, and best of all, super tasty! On a side note, Megan, The Detoxinista, posted a thought provoking article on Processed vs. Homemade Foods. I have yet to watch the video [...]
Eww!! I am planning to get back to healthy eating tomorrow after a family-chaos-induced break, and this definitely adds to my strength of purpose!
[...] one that is not processed, full of nutrients, and best of all, super tasty! On a side note, Megan, The Detoxinista, posted a thought provoking article on Processed vs. Homemade Foods. I have yet to watch the video [...]