Ultra-Processed Foods Are Slowing You Down
Yes, eating that frozen turkey dinner is convenient, but do you realise how that is affecting your brain? We now know that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) like chips and frozen foods can permanently alter your brain structure. Here are some ways UPFs can negatively affect your mind and body
Impaired Memory
A diet high in sugar and saturated fats (typical in UPFs) can weaken the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory formation. If you consume more than 20% of your daily calories from UPFs, you are at a higher risk of memory impairment compared to others.
Mood Swings
Remember the ultra-high followed by sudden low that you felt after you gorged on all your Halloween candy as a kid? Ultra-processed foods can similarly spike and crash your blood sugar levels, causing sudden mood swings. Having such a diet long-term can completely ruin your capacity for emotional regulation.
Decline in Cognitive Function
You know that foggy haze you feel after a big, unhealthy meal? That feeling is your food affecting your brain’s cognitive function. Having a UPF-heavy diet long term can put you at a higher risk of developing cognitive function diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Increased Risk of Depression
Those who consume UPFs regularly have a 33% higher risk of being diagnosed with depression. This is because such a diet is low in essential nutrients needed to produce the neurochemicals that help mood stabilisation and emotional regulation.
Higher Levels of Anxiety
Anxiety often goes hand in hand with depression, so it is no surprise that having processed foods regularly puts you at a higher risk of being diagnosed with anxiety as well. Low-nutrient, ultra-processed foods reduce the body’s ability to secrete neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin, causing anxiety disorders.
Chronic Brain Inflammation
If you read the label behind a pack of your favorite chips, you’ll find half a chemistry lab printed there. UPFs are packed full of additives and preservatives that can cause your brain to be inflamed. This can further lead to issues with mood and emotions, memory, and cognitive function.
Reduced Brain Plasticity
Plasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neural connections, that is, its ability to learn and retain new information. Ultra-processed foods have been proven to affect this ability, making them particularly dangerous to children, as they can affect their learning ability.
Sleep Disturbances
UPFs almost always have ingredients like caffeine, sugars and certain artificial additives that can alter and affect the body’s natural circadian rhythm. This disruption can lead to trouble sleeping and staying asleep. Poor quality of sleep can further cause significant decline in memory and cognitive ability.
Addiction
There is no denying that processed foods taste better than natural foods. They are literally designed to be so. UPFs stimulate dopamine pathways, making them highly addictive. Consuming large amounts regularly can potentially put you at a higher risk of eating disorders and metabolic imbalances compared to the rest of the population.
Decreased Learning Ability
Children eating processed foods regularly have a higher risk of severe long-term consequences compared to adults. UPFs have been known to affect the brain’s ability to absorb and retain information, making them extremely harmful to a child’s developing brain.
