Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health How Ultraprocessed Foods Hijack Your Brain and Mood - AI Podcast
Jun 13, 2025
Ultraprocessed foods are linked to addiction-like symptoms, negatively impacting mood and mental health. Over 85% of heavy consumers face cravings and loss of control. These foods hijack the brain's reward system, stimulating dopamine and opioids, making quitting challenging. Damage to the gut microbiome further affects cravings and emotional eating. Strategies like cutting out certain vegetable oils and focusing on whole foods can help restore mood balance and break the addiction cycle.
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Ultraprocessed Foods Hijack Brain
- Ultraprocessed foods hijack brain reward systems by overstimulating dopamine, opioids, and endocannabinoids.
- This biochemical trap explains why willpower fails and emotional lows follow binges, independent of weight gain.
UPFs Worsen Emotional Health
- High ultraprocessed food intake is linked to increased depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Addiction symptoms worsen emotional health, showing UPFs actively harm mood beyond existing feelings.
Gut Microbiome Damage by UPFs
- Ultraprocessed foods damage gut microbiome by shrinking diversity and boosting inflammatory bacteria.
- This gut disruption increases cravings, stress hormones, and lowers mood resilience via the gut-brain axis.