We all have those comfort foods we turn to, but what we eat could be impacting us in ways beyond just satisfying our cravings. Our daily diet might play a role in mood swings, anxiety, and feelings of sadness. In a podcast episode from April 4, Stanford neurobiology professor Andrew Huberman chatted with Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer about the connection between our food choices and mental health.

What’s the connection between what we eat and our mental well-being?

Huberman shared a snippet of their chat on Instagram, captioning it, “It’s no shock that our diet can affect our mood and mental well-being. But it’s only in recent times that research has started to highlight the strong link between consuming highly processed foods and mental health issues. Changes in mitochondria probably serve as the connection between these two elements.”

He mentioned that there's plenty of evidence indicating that focusing on unprocessed or minimally processed foods can boost mental health. However, it's important to note that these findings are correlational. Many lifestyle factors probably come into play when it comes to eating highly processed foods or steering clear of them.

Surprising discoveries about ultra-processed foods

In the chat, Dr. Palmer pointed out that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods can seriously harm both your physical and mental well-being. He mentioned issues like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, higher mortality rates, cancer, and various mental health disorders. A study involving over 300,000 participants revealed a clear and direct link between the intake of ultra-processed foods and declining mental health, which was quite surprising in its consistency.

He went on to say, "The difference was really significant, not just a minor one. It wasn't a mere 3% variation; it was three times greater. Among those who indulged in ultra-processed foods daily, multiple times a day, a staggering 58% reported experiencing poor mental health, while only 18% of those who rarely or never consumed them reported the same."

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