Ultra-processed foods will damage your brain! | Prof Felice Jacka

There is an alarming surge in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, especially in the UK and the US, where about two-thirds of caloric intake is from UPF. This raises grave health concerns, with emerging evidence revealing the detrimental effects of UPF on brain health and overall well-being.

With the majority of our calories coming from UPF, the risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions is escalating. Scientists are now uncovering the intricate mechanisms behind this link, particularly how UPF affects the brain.

In today’s episode, we welcome back Prof. Felice Jacka OAM. Felice is Alfred Deakin Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry and the Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University in Australia. She is also the founder of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and the world’s leading researcher on the impact of food on the brain and mental health. And she is back on the show to delve deeper into the links between UPF and brain health, specifically the hippocampus which is responsible for cognition (learning and memory) and mental health.

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro
00:55 Quick fire questions
04:07 What is ultra processed food?
05:25 What is the NOVA classification?
08:09 How does food impact the brain?
10:26 What does the hippocampus do to influence our brain function?
12:57 Is there a link between the size of the hippocampus and diet quality?
13:41 Is there a link between the quality of diet and depression?
20:48 What are the effects of long term dietary habits?
21:42 Is there a link between poor diet and dementia
23:32 Is there a link between autism and diet?
24:14 How real is the link between diet and dementia?
25:14 What is the oral microbiome?
28:34 New trial between whole foods and vitamin enriched nutritional foods
29:53 How does processing foods impact the makeup of foods on a molecular level?
32:41 How does the biodiversity around us affect our body?
33:33 How does the industrialized food environment impact us?
36:17 How strong is the evidence for this? is it comparable to smoking?
39:59 Practical tips to help with our diet
40:59 How does reducing consumption of UPF affect us?
42:17 How to cut down on UPF
45:08 Is it too late to change your diet?
47:20 Does exercise impact our brain?
49:23 Summary
54:53 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The SMILES trial, published in BMC Medicine
Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health from The Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University
Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus, from BMC Medicine

[jlarryd]

Every human desperately needs to hear this interview. It’s far too important information

[Dr.GeorgeMader]

We are in the last quarter of the year and as much as I will like to remain optimistic that things will get better soonest, the facts state otherwise The govt are more preoccupied about the coming elections. And truth be told, they never really care about the citizens that much. Take care of your finances the best you can esp ahead of the early part of next year. Things get worse before they get better. We just have to try and remain afloat before this saga passes through

[Leeidealist]

I am annoyed whenever he cuts off the other guests, especially women

[multimjaou]

I <3 ZOE!!!
Please can you have professor Felice back, and talk more on diets effect on mental health. I would also like to hear more about what she was mentioning about adhd and autism.

[artie]

Please stop interrupting, Jonathan. We really don't need you to paraphrase everything your guests say. We are intelligent adults, not children.

[Tabitha_K]

I am so grateful to the Zoe scientists for all these podcasts! As a child I had Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), which extended into adulthood. I was an exceptionally picky eater for years and chose only to eat beige, processed foods. I actually hated food and was underweight, which was also linked to hyperactivity.

Over the years I accumulated various psychiatric diagnoses, including anxiety, OCD, depression - and finally Autism. I was also constantly sick with viral infections.

When the Covid pandemic began I made a huge effort to change my diet; mostly because I was terrified of Covid and wanted to improve my immune system. I gradually cut out UPFs and based my diet around vegetables, whole grains, fruits and fermented foods. I’ve now been following a healthy diet as advocating by Zoe for 3 years and I feel so much better all round!

[beebee]

Fascinating. One of the best. Jonathan, don’t jump in so much!

[darlenes]

Thank you for even acknowledging that some of us are over 80 and still interested in improving our diet!

[essexcaz]

I am forever grateful to my parents who taught me to cook from scratch with fresh ingredients! I honestly think that the Western diet is so poor because nobody cooks anymore. My local High Street is full of takeaways and delivery mopeds.

[wackthegood]

Jonathan, please stop interrupting! We want to listen to the guest, and she is very clear in her explanations, so we don't need you to 'ask questions on our behalf'. It's a fascinating topic, and you mean well, but we want to listen to her!!

[PhilipNelson]

This type of insight should informing policy at a deep level. We need to move away from mono cropping mega farms and industrial food production back to localised, regenerative mixed farming methods that encourage the consumption of whole foods. We all know it’s healthy, and it tastes better and it doesn’t mean giving up things like meat and dairy etc… just eating less but better quality!

[brendacampbell]

I wish he would shut up and let her speak. I don’t need his mansplaining what she is saying.

[yvonnecoogan]

Very interesting guest, but please let her speak and stop jumping in and interupting her.

[odetbeauvoisin]

Such an important podcast. Thank you immensely for the questions you ask throughout this interview. The answers were always clarifying. The simple fact that Jonathan’s asked those questions helped me feel less “stoopid". Much appreciated.

[lambsquartersfarm]

In a world that made sense, UPF wouldn't get subsidized to create unhealthy people who, in countries with social healthcare, increase the cost and weigh down the healthcare system. Perhaps, the Gov't should fund whole foods instead and save us all a lot money and health troubles... if only...

[littlevoice_]

This discussion just demonstrated why NHS mental health hospital catering is so unacceptable. High fat, high sugar and refined food with low fruit and vegetables.

It is exactly the same in dementia hospitals and care homes.

[crippsuniverse]

Found myself getting annoyed with his constant interruptions...

[juliebarker]

The food policy comment towards the end is VITALLY important. Why are our politicians condemning our population to poor health by backing off essential population health interventions? The last decent legislation that made a massive impact was the banning of smoking in public places: controversial & brave at the time but no-one would ever dare to suggest it should be reversed.

[DENISEKing-sg]

One of my favourite Zoe interviews, thank you! Felice you mention writing to local MPs to put pressure on to change policies around the growing of food, labelling etc. Can I ask would you or Zoe be willing to draft such a letter that people can adapt if they wish/or not and use to send to their MPs? I think this would really help the amount of people that would then do this.

[ericagee]

I’m in the middle (opinion wise) about Johnathan jumping in with the guests. At times I’d like these interruptions shorter but mostly, they keep me listening by summarising for me and having a variety of voices.
Johnathan I imagine is also doing this for his own sake so he can make his clear summaries at the end.
Thanks Zoe! Great podcasts- love how you signpost the exact moments on the video.
I share with my two adult kids with babies of their own in the hope that they’ll act on this science that wasn’t around when I was a young parent.