Ok, so maybe they didn’t say Thunderbird Bar lovers specifically, we want to remind you that the scientific literature supports our shared belief that eating whole foods is simply good for you and the science will figure out why later.
And the science is “figuring it out.” For example, check out the titles to these recent articles:
- Ultra-processed Foods and Cardiovascular Diseases: Potential Mechanisms of Action by Filippa Juul, Georgeta Vaidean, Niyati Parekh for Advances in Nutrition, 2021
- Effect of ultra-processed diet on gut microbiota and thus its role in neurodegenerative diseases by Martínez Leo EE, Segura Campos MR for Nutrition, 2020
- It Is Really Simple: Foods and Human Health, The Whole Story by Henry J. Thompson for Nutrients, 2020
The main message of these scientific studies is embodied by this single quote:
“Processing induces significant changes to the food matrix, for which ultra-processed foods may affect health outcomes differently than unrefined whole foods with similar nutritional composition…Understanding how ultra-processing changes whole foods and through which pathways these foods affect health is a prerequisite for eliminating harmful processing techniques and ingredients.
Put simply, we don’t yet understand all the components of whole foods, but we do know that better health is achieved by eating them. That is why Thunderbird has the slogan, “Eat Beyond the Macros!”
We say this because we know that whole foods have intact phytochemicals (think flavonoids and polyphenols) and other bio-active compounds that are good for our gut micro-biota and other health inducing pathways. Sure, you can find energy bars that are “higher” in protein or “lower” in sugar. But remember, these bars, contain ultra-processed protein powders or sugar alcohols that may look good from the point of view of macros (such as grams of protein or sugar) but lead to the degeneration of your body in the long term.
That’s why we continue to make Thunderbird bar and keep as our core principle that we will only use whole food ingredients: dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices with no added sugar. With the added bonus that every bar must taste great.
Thank you for your continued support!
Team Thunderbird