How Ultra Processed Foods Affect Your Psychological Wellbeing
Everyone knows very well that ultra processed foods can affect our physical health negatively, and that having a balanced diet is the key. Yet, what you may not have known is that these types of foods, and an unhealthy diet in general can undoubtedly have a negative impact on your psychological wellbeing as well. This is something you may not have thought about by now, but it is certainly something that needs to be taken into account and considered, because eating healthy can help you feel better.
The entire idea of a balanced diet lies in, of course, providing your body, and your brain for that matter, with the right nutrients. This is where ultra-processed foods stand out as the main type of food that can, well, lead to nutrient deprivation, and that generally offers a lot of calories, but not enough vitamins and minerals, so there’s no doubt that it affects your mental wellbeing negatively. In fact, there is even a link between Ultra Processed Foods and SSRI medications that you should know. But, let us not get ahead of ourselves.
There is no doubt, thus, that you have quite some important questions about all of this here. Most importantly, what you need to do is understand how ultra processed foods actually affect your mental wellbeing. And, that is precisely what we are going to be discussing below, so keep on reading to find out what you need to know.
What Exactly Are Ultra Processed Foods?
We are, of course, going to begin with the question of what ultra processed foods actually are. To cut right to the chase, we are talking about those industrially manufactured products that go through various stages of both chemical and mechanical processing. And they often contain those ingredients that you cannot find in a regular kitchen, such as preservatives, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners and similar.
So, a simple label check will let you know right away if you are dealing with these types of foods or not. Now, there are different categories of processed food, and the ultra processed one is the category that actually includes the highest level of processing. Some examples are chips, cookies, crackers, sodas, frozen meals, instant noodles, sausages and other processed meat, fast food, as well as, believe it or not, those sugary breakfast cereals that are often advertised as healthy.
Here’s an interesting read about diet and depression: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/ultra-processed-foods-may-increase-risk-of-depression/
How They Affect Your Mental Wellbeing?
Now that you understand what kinds of ingredients and products we are talking about, let us proceed to the next question you have here. The main one. In short, you want to know how ultra processed foods can actually affect your mental wellbeing. And, well, there are a few important things to know here, so let us start talking about them right away.
· They Trigger Inflammation
Filled with refined sugars, additives and trans fats, ultra processed foods often trigger chronic inflammation throughout the entire body. And, this particular inflammation can cross the blood-brain barrier and thus basically affect how neurons communicate, as well as how certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, or serotonin, are produced. So, when you eat a lot of food like this, your brain can be “inflamed”, its chemical processes disrupted, and that can result in fatigue, anxiety, depression, and other issues.
· They Disrupt the Gut Microbiome
Your digestive system consists of certain bacteria that together form the gut microbiome, an entire ecosystem that affects not only digestion, but also immunity, as well as your mood. And, this system is constantly in communication with your brain. Thus, when you consume a lot of ultra processed products, you can cause a disruption in the gut microbiome, and that lack of balance can lead to irritability, anxiety, as well as depressive symptoms. Learn more on how your diet can affect your overall mental wellbeing.
· They Lead to Nutrient Deficiencies
I have hinted at this above already, but let me mention it separately anyway. Basically, your brain needs certain nutrients to function properly, and ultra processed foods are definitely not rich in those. I’m talking certain vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and similar. So, when you consume a lot of those products, that can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which can have a negative impact on your overall mental health.
· They Have an Impact on the Effectiveness of Certain Medications
In addition to affecting your mental health in general, ultra processed foods can actually also affect how you respond to certain medications, and perhaps most prominently SSRIs. After all, around 95% of serotonin is created in the gut, and when you disrupt the gut microbiome, while also bringing your body into a state of nutrient deficiency, and trigger inflammation on top of all that, that production is sure to slow down. In simple words, these medications may not work as well as they should when you’re consuming a lot of ultra processed products.
