Science says that ultra-processed food and drinks are making us stupider! ????
A recent study published in JAMA Neurology looked at the relationship between ultra-processed foods (UPFs – who knew there was an acronym) which are defined as “formulations of processed food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavourings, colourings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives.” and cognitive decline, more colloquially known as losing ones marbles.
58% of the calories consumed by US citizens, 57% of the calories consumed by British citizens, and 48% of the calories consumed by Canadian citizens come from UPFs.
The researchers analyzed 10,775 people aged 35 to 74 and found that diets containing more than 20% UPFs showed a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline than those whose diets contained less than 20% UPFs. That’s significant.
The study lists “examples of UPFs [as] sweet and savoury snacks, confectionery, breakfast cereals, ice cream, sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, and ready-to-eat frozen meals.”
What can be done?
In a word, home cooking wherever possible. Veggies, grains, if you’re not vegan or vegetarian then meat and seafood in moderation. Mark Bittman called out the difference between what he calls “Edible Substances” and “Food” several year ago and I’ve been trying to live by his credo “Eat food, mostly plants, not too much” ever since.
Our drinks are brewed with zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners and zero anything artificial. We work with plants and mushrooms, that’s all.
