Mindful Munchies: The impact of ultra-processed foods on the brain Part 1

 

In part one of this two part series of the Well Nurtured Brain, Dr. Pamela Hutchison will dive into the intriguing relationship between ultra-processed foods and the intricate workings of our brain. She will share the research related to these processed delights and shed some light on the potential links to neurodegenerative disorders and mental health conditions.

Stay tuned for the second instalment of this series on May 30th where Dr. Pamela will share how to identify these foods. 

In today's episode we'll discuss:

  1. The Nova Food Classification system

  2. Ultra-processed foods and depression

  3. A study that examined cognitive decline in relation to ultra-processed foods

Episode References: 

Studies cited or used as resources for episode

  • Tian, Y. R., Deng, C. Y., Xie, H. C., Long, Q. J., Yao, Y., Deng, Y., Zhao, H., Li, Y., Liu, H., & Xiao, L. (2023). Ultra-processed food intake and risk of depression: a systematic review. Ingestión de alimentos ultraprocesados y riesgo de depresión: revisión sistemática. Nutricion hospitalaria, 40(1), 160–176. https://doi.org/10.20960/nh.03723

  • Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Travica, N., Dissanayaka, T., Ashtree, D. N., Gauci, S., Lotfaliany, M., O'Neil, A., Jacka, F. N., & Marx, W. (2022). Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients, 14(13), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132568

  • Gomes Gonçalves, N., Vidal Ferreira, N., Khandpur, N., Martinez Steele, E., Bertazzi Levy, R., Andrade Lotufo, P., Bensenor, I. M., Caramelli, P., Alvim de Matos, S. M., Marchioni, D. M., & Suemoto, C. K. (2023). Association Between Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Cognitive Decline. JAMA neurology, 80(2), 142–150. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4397

Additional resources

Resources: NOVA Classification Reference Sheet PDF

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Mindful Munchies: The impact of ultra-processed foods on the brain Part 2

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