There is increasing evidence that the food we eat has a significant impact, positive or negative, on our mental health (see for example Brain Changer: How diet can save your mental health – cutting-edge science from an expert).
This BBC article is about an experiment involving Dr Chris van Tulleken and a month-long diet he adopted made up of mostly ultra-processed foods. It begins:
“Over half the energy from food eaten in the UK is believed to come from ultra-processed products. There are concerns these foods lead people to eat more and put on weight. One in four adults in the UK is estimated to be obese, as well as one in five children aged ten to eleven.
‘I wanted to find out what effect a diet high in ultra-processed food had on me’, says Dr Chris Van Tulleken, presenter of What are we Feeding our Kids? (BBC One Thursday 27 May 9pm). There is little research on how ultra-processed foods interact with our bodies, especially among children and teenagers, who eat more than the average adult.
For the experiment, which is shown on the documentary, Chris increased his usual intake of 30 percent ultra-processed foods to 80 percent for four weeks. ‘It sounds extreme, but it’s the diet one in five people in the UK eats’, he says.”
You can read more from here.
