ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON BRAIN HEALTH
DR. UMA NAIDOO, MD
MARCH 2025
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In our modern food environment, advanced technologies in food production allow for our food supply to meet the demands of our growing population. However, at what cost?
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) now account for more than half of the calories in the standard American diet. Over the many years as the Director of Nutritional, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Psychiatry at Harvard, I have worked with patients to reduce their symptoms of mood disorders, stress, low energy,y and cognitive impairments when they reduce these foods in their diets and replace them with unprocessed, more nutrient-dense whole foods.
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Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced items derived from widely grown and genetically modified crops like corn, soy, and sugar. They tend to be low-cost to produce, convenient to purchase and consume, and are engineered to be highly palatable. They have a long shelf life which is achieved through added preservatives, chemicals, artificial flavors, sweeteners, and coloring. They are also unnaturally high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids, while the various production steps strip them of their natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This combination of artificial ingredients, sugar, high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, and low nutritional content makes ultra-processed foods incredibly inflammatory and detrimental to the microbiome which in conjunction can lead to a host of physical and mental health complications when eaten consistently over time.
Ultra-processed foods
These are stripped of natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Some of the most popular, or widely consumed, ultra-processed foods are breakfast cereals, snacks like chips, cookies, and crackers as well as salad dressings, many condiments, sugar-sweetened beverages, and commercial frozen dinners. These have all become staples in the American diet over the past few decades. What is worse is that these ultra-processed foods are marketed as health foods, though their consumption continues to be linked to chronic inflammation and poor health outcomes.
There are entire aisles of these ultra-processed foods in most grocery stores with their colorful boxes, jolly mascots, and clever slogans grabbing the attention of consumers, especially children.
Do you know what you are really consuming in your morning bowl of cereal and how it will set you up for the day? Breakfast cereals tend to be mostly simple carbohydrates with almost an entire day’s worth of added sugars. Consuming this as the first meal of the day can lead to blood sugar spikes that leave us hungry just a few hours later and more inclined to reach for a sugary snack between meals.
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Similarly, sipping on sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and juice, or snacking on processed goods like chips and candy throughout the day supports low energy levels, poor focus, and irritability which can dampen productivity and overall quality of life.
Ending the day with ultra-processed items like white pasta, microwavable meals, and salad dressings laden with sugar can ultimately disrupt one's ability to get a good night’s sleep, further exacerbating the problem and leading individuals to reach for simple carbs in the morning.
Rather than reaching for ultra-processed items, I recommend meals that are nutrient-dense and contain a balance of carbs, fats, and proteins. Because this is hard to achieve via ultra-processed foods, I instead recommend pairing whole plant foods with your favorite clean protein and a healthy fat for a balanced breakfast that will power your body and mind through the morning and support healthy food choices later in the day. Obtaining the sugars your body needs from berries or apples is very different from a soda.
Reducing one’s intake of ultra-processed foods and increasing the amount of whole foods in the diet can reverse chronic inflammation, reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies, and lead to a more balanced microbiome for improved gut health. Improving gut health is a key first step in improving mental fitness via the gut-brain connection, as well as supporting the health of all other organ groups and overall metabolic health.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet can improve gut health.
With the high prevalence of ultra-processed foods in our environment, removing them entirely can seem daunting. If these foods are a key component of your diet, I recommend starting with a few swaps each day and taking it slowly. Swapping out your morning breakfast cereal with a healthier option like a chia pudding is a great place to start. And remember, it is all about balance! It may be impossible with our current lifestyles to completely avoid packaged or ultra-processed food but limiting these can go a long way to helping out mental and metabolic health. Consuming these foods as part of an 80/20 lifestyle, whereas 80% of the diet is focused on whole, nutrient-dense foods, and the remaining 20% leaves room for enjoying life as it comes, is my favorite way to live with sustainable balance.
Dr. Uma Naidoo is the MoodFoodMD, a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef and nutritional biologist, instructor @MasterClass, and author of “Calm your Mind with Food”, and the national & international bestseller: “This is Your Brain on Food.”
