A fast-food burger here, a microwave dinner there – quick and convenient, of course. But what's the tradeoff? It's time to consider how these seemingly benign choices might be affecting your mental and physical health.

While the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has become normalised in modern diets, research is starting to shed light on its abnormal effects on our minds and bodies.

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

UPF are products that undergo extensive processing, bearing little resemblance to their original ingredients.

The creation of UPF is primarily driven by profitability – companies prioritise cost-effectiveness and convenience in production, aiming to maximize shelf life.

Inexpensive ingredients, such as refined sugars, oils, and additives, help companies cut costs at the same time as compromising nutritional quality.

Common examples of UPF include:

• Sodas
• Pre-packaged snacks
• Breakfast cereals
• Fast-food items
• Frozen meals
• Processed meats
• Ice cream and desserts
• Powdered and packaged meals

If the ingredient list includes things you wouldn't typically find in a kitchen, it's UPF.

UPF Is Not Food

While the term is ‘ultra-processed food’, it can be argued that UPF is not food.

Much of UPF contains excessive amounts of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium, while lacking the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in whole, minimally processed foods.

In addition to lacking essential nutrients, UPF often contains a plethora of artificial ingredients, such as synthetic flavourings, colourants, preservatives, emulsifiers, and texturisers.

As such, UPF can be considered ‘edible substances’ rather than food, as they do not provide the nourishment and benefits associated with natural, whole foods.

Artificial Ingredients in UPF

An example of a common artificial ingredient found in UPF is dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone-based compound. It’s used as an additive in a wide range of UPF, including baked goods, desserts, sauces, and processed meats, to prevent foaming and improve texture.

Fast-food restaurants also use it to prevent excessive foaming during cooking processes.

For example, it’s in KFC chicken.

It’s also in cosmetics and personal care products, as well as in the textile industry as a fabric softener and waterproofing agent.

While dimethylpolysiloxane is generally recognised as safe (GRAS) by regulatory agencies, research on its long-term effects on human health is limited. Most studies have focused on acute toxicity and short-term exposure rather than chronic, long-term effects.

The regulatory processes surrounding UPF are concerning. According to an Environmental Working Group analysis, of the 766 new edible chemicals created since the year 2000, 756 of them did not apply for FDA approval.

Yes, you read that right.

Almost 99% of new edible substances have not been approved by the FDA themselves. In 2016, the FDA implemented a rule stating that companies can ‘self-determine’ the safety of their ingredients.

In his book Ultra-Processed People, Chris van Tulleken explains:

UPF and The Global Health Crisis

Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer are on the rise globally.

There’s increasing evidence to suggest that the rise of chronic diseases has been correlated with the increasing intake of UPF.

Some possible reasons for this include:

• Low in essential nutrients. UPFs typically lack essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Consuming a diet low in these nutrients can lead to deficiencies and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
• High levels of added sugars. UPFs often contain significant amounts of added sugars, which can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of diabetes. Excessive sugar intake is also linked to inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.
• Unhealthy fats. Many UPFs are high in unhealthy fats, such as trans fats and saturated fats. These fats can raise LDL cholesterol levels, increase the risk of heart disease, and contribute to obesity.
• High sodium content. UPFs are often loaded with salt as a preservative and flavour enhancer. High sodium intake is associated with hypertension, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Let’s explore how these factors are also associated with poor mental health.

Nutrient Deficiency and Neurotransmitter Balance

If your diet consists predominantly of UPF, you're basically running a high-performance engine on low-grade fuel.

UPF often lacks the essential nutrients for maintaining neurotransmitter balance.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that play a fundamental role in regulating mood, cognition, and behaviour. Key neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation include serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

Studies have shown that deficiencies in these nutrients are associated with alterations in neurotransmitter levels and function in the brain.

If your neurotransmitters are imbalanced, you might experience feelings of low mood, irritability, anxiety and fatigue.

Disruptions in neurotransmitter balance may also contribute to difficulties concentrating and changes in sleep patterns and appetite.

To counteract this, adopting a mostly whole food diet is key. It may require some time and effort to discover a repertoire of homecooked meals and snacks that work for you, but many people find that the benefits, including improved health, energy, and better mental wellbeing, outweigh the initial challenges.

With practice and planning, incorporating more whole foods into your diet can become a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle choice.

For busy families, if your budget allows, meal delivery services can also make wholesome eating both convenient and enjoyable.

Sugar Spikes and Crashes

The rush of a sugar high isn’t a long-lasting thrill and is often followed by mood and energy disruption.

UPF, teeming with added sugars, leads to rapid spikes in glucose levels – a surge that your body counteracts by releasing insulin to bring blood sugar back down.

This seesaw effect can take a toll on your mental state, leaving you experiencing irritability and mental fog as your energy crashes.

A standard can of Coke contains approximately 9.3 teaspoons of sugar. Can you imagine eating almost 10 teaspoons of sugar in one go?

To make it easier to consume so much sugar without it tasting sickly sweet, Coke contains phosphoric acid which has a tangy, sour flavour.

UPF, Overconsumption and Obesity

It’s not just Coke.

In general, UPF often contains a shocking amount of sugar which is engineered to be consumed with ease.

The soft texture of UPF also contributes to its easy consumption.

Unlike whole foods like fruits, vegetables, or lean meats, which require more effort to break down, UPF tends to be easily broken apart with little chewing. This minimal chewing effort allows people to consume larger quantities of food in a shorter amount of time.

The soft texture of UPF can also lead to reduced sensory satiation, meaning that we may not feel as satisfied or full as quickly compared to foods with more varied textures. Without the sensory feedback provided by foods that require chewing, we may continue eating UPF even when we’ve consumed a significant amount.

Over time, frequent overconsumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor UPFs can contribute to obesity.

How UPF Harms Your Gut

Imagine your gut as a bustling metropolis, its inhabitants, the microbiota, in constant communication with your brain. This gut-brain axis is pivotal for maintaining mental health, and research shows that UPF can disrupt this interaction by diminishing your diversity of good bacteria.

How?

It’s due to UPF being low in dietary fibre and other nutrients that support the growth and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria.

As a result, the consumption of UPF can lead to a decrease in microbial diversity, with certain species of bacteria dominating the gut microbiota at the expense of others.

This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, has been associated with various health problems, including mental health issues.

Dysbiosis can compromise gut barrier function, leading to increased intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut.’ This allows toxins, bacteria, and other harmful substances to leak into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation, which has been linked to poor mental health.

UPF and Digestive Issues

High UPF intake can cause digestive issues such as constipation, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through gut microbiota imbalance and other mechanisms. For example, artificial additives such as preservatives, emulsifiers, and flavour enhancers can irritate your digestive tract if you have a sensitive stomach.

Nourishing your internal ecosystem with unprocessed foods promotes a healthy microbiome and enhances your mental wellbeing.

The Value of UPF

It can be argued that anything we consume has three types of value:

1. Nutritional value. Helping us meet our nutritional needs and supporting our overall health.
2. Social value. Promoting connections and bonding within social circles.
3. Emotional value. Contributing to our emotional wellbeing and providing comfort.

While UPF may lack nutritional value, they often hold social and emotional value.

For many people, UPF are associated with comfort, nostalgia, and social connection. Maintaining a healthy relationship with food entails avoiding strict labels of ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ adhering to the principle of moderation in all things.

Demonizing UPF based on their nutritional content fails to acknowledge the multifaceted role they play in our lives. By acknowledging the emotional and social aspects of UPF, you can develop a balanced approach that honours both your physical and emotional wellbeing.

Summary

UPF are man-made, unnatural edible substances that have become increasingly prevalent in modern diets.

Emerging research suggests that their overconsumption may be wreaking havoc on our minds and bodies.

Growing evidence indicates that problems associated with high UPF intake include:

• Nutrient deficiencies
• Neurotransmitter imbalances
• Poor mental wellbeing
• Obesity
• Gut dysbiosis

Whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, are rich in essential nutrients, fibre, and phytochemicals that support optimal health. By prioritising whole foods over artificial ‘food-like’ substances, you can nourish your mind and body with the nutrients you need to thrive.

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