https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/11/25/scientists-are-learning-why-ultra-processed-foods-are-bad-for-you

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Science & technology | Nutrition

Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you

A mystery is finally being solved

A bowl of Froot Loops cereal.Photograph: Getty Images
Nov 25th 2024
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For millennia, people have altered food to please their palates. More
than 3,000 years ago Mesoamericans, living in what is Mexico and
Central America today, cooked corn kernels in a solution of wood ash
or limestone. The process, known as nixtamalisation, unlocked
nutrients and softened the tough outer shells of the corn, making
them easier to grind.

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