Episode
New Research Junk Food, Packaging Chemicals, and Kids’ Brain Health [Podcast Episode #233]
- Published
- Nov 12, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1051
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Summary
Researchers from Virginia Tech have discovered that ultra-processed meats and beverages are the worst for brain health. Individuals who consumed one or more extra servings of either of these foods showed a significantly increased risk of developing cognitive impairments, including those associated with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease. A recent article from Children’s Health Defense shared new research ranking which junk foods are most harmful to the brain — and it’s not just about kids’ waistlines or sugar highs. It’s about how what we eat can shape how we think, learn, and even feel. Let’s dig into what this new research is saying, and more importantly, what it means for our families. How Junk Food Impacts the Brain These studies found that foods loaded with refined sugar, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients don’t just harm the body — they change how the brain functions. Think of it like this: the brain runs on clear signals, kind of like a radio station. When it’s getting clean fuel — whole foods, real nutrients — that signal is clear. But when it’s constantly fed ultra-processed foods, it’s like turning up the static. The brain starts to lose focus, memory gets fuzzy, and mood and motivation can shift. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) are now known to include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, depression, and an increase in all-cause mortality. In fact, according to a study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association, up to 220,000 young Americans under age 20 are likely to have Type 2 diabetes by 2060 — a 673% increase from 2017 levels. One of the studies found that people who ate a lot of processed meats, fried snacks, and sugary drinks had measurable changes in the areas of the brain that co…