this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2023

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Ultra-processed foods harm brain health, but access and affordability are issues. (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/news

12 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Felice Jacka, a leading researcher of nutritional psychiatry, has found links between ultra-processed foods and the health of our brains. She explains that our gut microbiome affects various aspects of health, including metabolism, blood glucose, body weight, gene expression, serotonin levels, stress response, mitochondrial function, and immune system. Jacka's research has shown that a western junk food diet can impair cognitive functions and shrink the hippocampus, a brain region important for mental health, learning, and memory. The industrialized food system, which produces ultra-processed foods, is the leading cause of illness, early death, and biodiversity loss globally, costing around $20tn per year. Jacka suggests that reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods is crucial, but acknowledges that many people don't have the option due to their affordability and the lack of healthy choices available. She has also found a connection between ultra-processed foods, poor diet quality in mothers and children, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD. Jacka acknowledges that the term "ultra-processed food" may have some fuzzy borders and misclassifications, but warns against industry tactics to confuse people and muddy the waters, similar to what the tobacco industry did with smoking and lung cancer.

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[–] dojan 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This part stands out to me

Population-based studies conducted in several countries, most of them using national dietary intake surveys, have shown that ultra-processed foods are typically high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals

Because it starts off saying

A practical way to identify an ultra-processed product is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the NOVA ultra-processed food group, which is to say, either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolysed proteins), or classes of additives designed to make the final product palatable or more appealing (such as flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents).

Which like, could be literally anything, but adding the whole "they tend to be high in sugar, fats, and salt, while being low in fibre and nutrition" makes it make a lot more sense. It's not that the additives themselves are necessarily bad, but rather that they're making up for a lack of real substance. You don't get the nutrition you need and parts of your body atrophies, seems logical.

MSG is fantastic and can bring an already good dish to a new level, or you could add a whole lot of it into a bad dish and possibly elevate it to palatable.

[+] PeleSpirit -6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

[deleted]

[–] dojan 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Wow, I'm so glad there's a level-headed person like you around that definitely don't put words in people's mouths! Now be a darling and point out where exactly I was cheering on over-processed and undernutritious foods. I'll wait.

The thing about junk food is that it is just that, junk. Your body craves more nutrition and you end up hungrier. Thus if all you have access to is junk, for monetary reasons or because you live in a food desert and all you have access to is highly processed food filed with preservatives, you end up with a problem.

You can see this in animals too. The cheap-arse kibble you can buy at any old supermarket is filled with junk filler that isn't good for your pets, which is why we end up with OMG LOL SO CUTE CHOMKERS!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My first thought with your source is that MSG is a naturally occurring substance, just containing is a really low bar. That and I'd imagine if you actually go by intentionally added there probably isn't a high-prevalence of MSG-high foods, as most stuff would rather just load it with salt instead (even Ramen noodles I've seen happily slap an MSG-free logo up as if it's a selling point). Also sugar, which directly relates to obesity.

That and any actual allergy is likely nocebo effect (or actually high-salt).

[+] PeleSpirit -5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Re-read the bold part I put up, lol.

Not taking it at face-value, due to some of what's present in the rest of the study.

food companies know that some people are very sensitive to MSG so they started listing it as different names. If it says protein, you’ve got yourself a form of MSG

You missed my point. Restated, found in wiki page of Glutamic acid:

Glutamic acid, being a constituent of protein, is present in foods that contain protein

Significant amounts of free glutamic acid are present in a wide variety of foods, including cheeses and soy sauce, and glutamic acid is responsible for umami, one of the five basic tastes

So yes, protein can be an ingredient that adds flavors and some form of glutamate. It's not a trick, the flavor wouldn't be there without it and most people aren't going to have any negative reaction.

Also found this interesting tidbit:

Some protein-rich plant foods also serve as sources. 30% to 35% of gluten (much of the protein in wheat) is glutamic acid

So there might be some similarity here to gluten allergy? (though MSG itself does not seem to affect those with gluten allergy)

Even if not, the practice of using ingredients that may cause gluten allergy in what-should-be-gluten-free food definitely is similar. They not trying to "hide" gluten either, they just didn't take it into consideration.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well its a good thing you're not overreacting and overemphasized a trait that doesn't exist in someone you emotionally disagree with.