Felice Jacka, a leading researcher of nutritional psychiatry, has found links between ultra-processed foods and the health of our brains. She explains that our gut microbiome affects various aspects of health, including metabolism, blood glucose, body weight, gene expression, serotonin levels, stress response, mitochondrial function, and immune system. Jacka’s research has shown that a western junk food diet can impair cognitive functions and shrink the hippocampus, a brain region important for mental health, learning, and memory. The industrialized food system, which produces ultra-processed foods, is the leading cause of illness, early death, and biodiversity loss globally, costing around $20tn per year. Jacka suggests that reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods is crucial, but acknowledges that many people don’t have the option due to their affordability and the lack of healthy choices available. She has also found a connection between ultra-processed foods, poor diet quality in mothers and children, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD. Jacka acknowledges that the term “ultra-processed food” may have some fuzzy borders and misclassifications, but warns against industry tactics to confuse people and muddy the waters, similar to what the tobacco industry did with smoking and lung cancer.
I wish our school systems would take note. Our school offers free breakfast and lunch in the spirit of improving lower income student’s performance, but the only breakfast items they offer are of the convenience food variety, or high sugar cereals.
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Can appreciate the study but I wonder if lifestyle, activity/stimulation and portioning don’t play larger measurable roles.
if you live in a food desert where the only options for food are the gas station or the dollar store. There’s often no choice.
Lifestyle can play a role in being healthy but choice of good food is the catalyst for changing your lifestyle. The “ultra processed” garbage is cheap energy at best and has you continually reaching for that cheap energy and promoting a generally unhealthy/inactive lifestyle.
I’ve been a nutritional fiend for ever and hyperfocused on self improvement to the point I abandoned my sociatal responsibilities. Shhhh…
Before covid happened, I was working out and eating well. Custom diet plan that ensured I’d reach my daily caloric goal. Generally wanted fats and protein earlier in the day with a nice sugar boost to wake me up, then dinner was ensured a new variety because I wanted to maintain a healthy gut biome. Felt fucking great - I was studying hardcore everyday, working out… Felt so incredible compared to my currently recovering self.
Then covid happened and following it, financial devistation. Had to start working again so I began eating fast food. Had no time and didn’t think too much beyond this point in time.
Energy levels rapidly reached points similar to depression and studying became a chore even after I quit and tried returning to my studies. I could never restore my energy levels because I couldn’t afford healthy food; Bottom barrel garbage. Nutrigrain bars give ~200 cals @ 24/$15. STEAL. My gut biome was non-existent due to 0 variety and grease obliterating any new life.
Cut to today, my family takes me in and feeds me. I’m able to finally return to my varied homecooked diet. Nearing the end of week 2 and my productivity has already skyrocketed despite the constant verbal abuse :') even just noticed my journal entries have become less shakey.
The main point is, my actions beyond my food did not influence my energy outcomes. Kind of. Gaining more muscle did not make me feel any better. Losing muscle, it was infinitely harder to regain it and I’d end up using more enegy, making me even more apathetic.
Basically, life’s a balance. Maintain that tummy balance! Don’t buy those cheap burgers from Wendies even if it’s a steal of quik protien!!!
Lots of different needs for different people, I guess. I’m older, eat almost exclusively junk food, exercise a lot and generally feel really great. Definitely understand it’s not the same for others tho.
So true! Not just food - drugs, ideas, we all take differently. It’s important to self observe so we can plan our best lives. :)
Yet the lady doesn’t define what ultra-processed is. I have little doubts that eating McDonald’s every day is bad for you, but in their study did they include stuff like kraft Mac and cheese, dehydrated mashed potatoes, cereal, etc as “ultra-processed?”.
Whole thing reads like click bait with no actual science behind it, would love to see the results of an actual study on the topic too.
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This part stands out to me
Population-based studies conducted in several countries, most of them using national dietary intake surveys, have shown that ultra-processed foods are typically high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals
Because it starts off saying
A practical way to identify an ultra-processed product is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the NOVA ultra-processed food group, which is to say, either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolysed proteins), or classes of additives designed to make the final product palatable or more appealing (such as flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents).
Which like, could be literally anything, but adding the whole “they tend to be high in sugar, fats, and salt, while being low in fibre and nutrition” makes it make a lot more sense. It’s not that the additives themselves are necessarily bad, but rather that they’re making up for a lack of real substance. You don’t get the nutrition you need and parts of your body atrophies, seems logical.
MSG is fantastic and can bring an already good dish to a new level, or you could add a whole lot of it into a bad dish and possibly elevate it to palatable.
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Wow, I’m so glad there’s a level-headed person like you around that definitely don’t put words in people’s mouths! Now be a darling and point out where exactly I was cheering on over-processed and undernutritious foods. I’ll wait.
The thing about junk food is that it is just that, junk. Your body craves more nutrition and you end up hungrier. Thus if all you have access to is junk, for monetary reasons or because you live in a food desert and all you have access to is highly processed food filed with preservatives, you end up with a problem.
You can see this in animals too. The cheap-arse kibble you can buy at any old supermarket is filled with junk filler that isn’t good for your pets, which is why we end up with OMG LOL SO CUTE CHOMKERS!
My first thought with your source is that MSG is a naturally occurring substance, just containing is a really low bar. That and I’d imagine if you actually go by intentionally added there probably isn’t a high-prevalence of MSG-high foods, as most stuff would rather just load it with salt instead (even Ramen noodles I’ve seen happily slap an MSG-free logo up as if it’s a selling point). Also sugar, which directly relates to obesity.
That and any actual allergy is likely nocebo effect (or actually high-salt).
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Re-read the bold part I put up, lol.
Not taking it at face-value, due to some of what’s present in the rest of the study.
food companies know that some people are very sensitive to MSG so they started listing it as different names. If it says protein, you’ve got yourself a form of MSG
You missed my point. Restated, found in wiki page of Glutamic acid:
Glutamic acid, being a constituent of protein, is present in foods that contain protein
Significant amounts of free glutamic acid are present in a wide variety of foods, including cheeses and soy sauce, and glutamic acid is responsible for umami, one of the five basic tastes
So yes, protein can be an ingredient that adds flavors and some form of glutamate. It’s not a trick, the flavor wouldn’t be there without it and most people aren’t going to have any negative reaction.
Also found this interesting tidbit:
Some protein-rich plant foods also serve as sources. 30% to 35% of gluten (much of the protein in wheat) is glutamic acid
So there might be some similarity here to gluten allergy? (though MSG itself does not seem to affect those with gluten allergy)
Even if not, the practice of using ingredients that may cause gluten allergy in what-should-be-gluten-free food definitely is similar. They not trying to “hide” gluten either, they just didn’t take it into consideration.
Well its a good thing you’re not overreacting and overemphasized a trait that doesn’t exist in someone you emotionally disagree with.
