Food for thought – why are we waging a war against ultra-processed foods for our brain health?
Balance gets behind the pseudoscience framing current online health trends, as we find out it's not as black and white as it seems.
We often think of diet in terms of body shape, weight, cholesterol, or blood sugar. However, emerging evidence suggests that food also profoundly impacts the mind. From memory, attention, mood, to long-term cognitive function, this news can affect the ageing population and everyone who wants to protect their brain in the long term.
In recent headlines, health figures like Joe Wicks have attempted to bring ultra-processed foods (UPFs) into public view with provocative campaigns. While the messaging is messy, it underscores a growing concern: that what we put into our mouths might be rewiring what’s happening in our minds.
But what is the real evidence? One of the more robust findings in nutritional neuroscience is the association between ultra-processed food consumption and cognitive decline, especially later in life. In a study of over 10,000 adults in Brazil, researchers found that higher proportions of daily energy from ultra-processed foods correlated with faster decline in both global cognition and executive function over 8 years. Another large cohort, the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study, observed that higher UPF intake was associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and stroke. Moreover, broader reviews have linked UPF consumption to mood disorders, depression, anxiety, and poorer brain health more generally.
So, where are health influencers getting it so wrong? In Joe Wicks’ new Channel 4 documentary ‘Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill’, the fitness influencer takes a bold stand: he launches a ‘killer bar’ (packed with 96 legal ingredients) as a shock tactic to expose how many food products share alarming components. He gets it right by raising awareness for something that is not well understood by the public, as well as highlighting legal additives that can be misleading to consumers. Wicks’ calls for more scrutiny in the food industry, and prompts a reissuing of ‘health foods’ and how they are marketed.
But where he falls short is the oversimplification of this issue. Not all UPFs are universally dangerous and result in harm, so we shouldn’t demonise every processed food. And whilst there was some education in the documentary, it began to create a campaign that promoted fear and shame around food rather than a holistic view of how we can achieve actionable change. For those in lower-income households, for example, the idea of just “eating real food” isn’t feasible and ignores challenges of cost, access, and time. Other critics worry that the extreme messaging may result in people driving towards restrictive diets and guilt instead of true nutritional literacy.
To combat this, we have compiled a short list of things you can do to be aware of UPFs, but not be frightened by fearmongering tactics circling the health sphere.
Shift 10%: In observational dementia studies, replacing just 10% of ultra-processed intake with unprocessed foods was estimated to lower dementia risk.
Favour foods with short ingredient lists and avoid long lists of chemicals, colours, artificial sweeteners, and unfamiliar additives.
Increase fibre and plant diversity by aiming for whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits to support a healthy microbiome.
Limit undercover UPFs because many packaged foods appear healthy (protein bars, flavoured yoghurts, meal-replacement drinks).
Cook when possible! Homemade meals often use less processing and fewer additives.
Occasional indulgence is inevitable; a consistent healthy baseline matters most.