HOUSTON CW39) – We know highly processed foods (ice cream, chips, soda, etc.) are bad for physical wellbeing, but there’s new research on how ultra-processed foods are also harmful for mental health, including our sleep habits and memory.
What are studies showing us about their impact to mental health right now?
It’s no secret that junk food is bad for your physical health, but more evidence continues to emerge that it can negatively affect you mentally.
According to a study in Cell Metabolism, people who consistently eat high-fat, high-sugar foods demonstrate higher activity in the parts of their brains that create dopamine, the “feel good hormone”. The same way other addictive drugs like nicotine and alcohol impact our brain.
This has been unofficially labeled as “ultra-processed food disorder”
People with diets high in processed foods show lower performance in memory tests
There’s also growing evidence that ultra processed foods negatively impact food and are being more closely linked with risk of anxiety and depression.
What are ultra processed foods?
These are foods that have gone through several processes and have been heavily manipulated. They’re often high in fat and sugar, which makes them appealing to our brain.
Examples can be sodas, hot dogs, cookies, ice cream, chips
What can people do?
It’s unrealistic for most people to cut ultra-processed food from their diet completely but we always tell our clients at Life Time to look for opportunities where you can swap processed food for a natural option.
For example, if you find that you often snack on potato chips or ice cream in the evening, consider swapping that with nuts and dried fruit.
Instead of soft drinks, substitute it with tea, water, or kombucha.
With each small swap that you make, you can build your diet to be more natural, which will likely lead to you feeling better both physically and mentally.
