Food industry’s impact on global brain health

In a recent study published by Baker InstituteWith a particular focus on improving brain health, researchers have found several that can effectively target different aspects of the food industry that contribute to the development of various physical and mental illnesses around the world. We are proposing some policy solutions.

study: A good diet is essential for brain health, so the food industry must change. Image credit: NDAB Creativity / Shutterstock.com

Effects of the food industry on brain health

Physical and environmental health, safety and security, learning and social relationships, and access to quality care can affect brain health. Maintaining optimal brain health is critical to addressing contemporary social issues such as the negative impact of the food industry on communities and fostering innovation.

A variety of environmental factors have been shown to affect brain health, including nutrition and exposure to toxins and pollutants present in food, medicines, water, and air. The global food industry has expanded to accommodate a growing population, but it still accounts for up to one-third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 70% of freshwater withdrawals, with single-use plastics is the main source of production and pollution. Moreover, the industry is a major contributor to global deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Importantly, the adverse effects associated with the global food industry can adversely affect brain health. Ultra-processed foods, which currently account for up to 56% of the total daily energy intake in various countries around the world, are associated with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, by promoting inflammation and oxidation. It can contribute to the development of many diseases. Stress, decreased neurogenesis and brain plasticity, disruption of the gut-brain axis.

In addition to the detrimental effects directly associated with ultraprocessed foods, various toxins have also been associated with the industrial farming practices used to obtain these products and their packaging. For example, the intensive use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers significantly reduces microbial biodiversity in soils and foods, while increasing levels of endocrine disruptors in these products, disrupting the microbiome. and can cause neurotoxicity.

Policy Changes to Limit Industry’s Impact on Brain Health

Researchers in the current study propose an ecological approach that incorporates economic, environmental and political considerations to reduce the negative impact of the corporate food industry on global brain health. . These recommendations include front-of-package labeling requirements warning of health effects associated with ultra-processed foods, unprocessed or minimally processed foods while taxing industrial foods that provide little or no nutritional value. This includes the introduction of subsidies for food products that have been produced, and the development of food products. Supportive programs that promote a diet high in whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

It is also imperative that public health officials and policy makers inform the public about how food affects brain health, particularly through the gut-brain axis. Such open conversations will support beneficial dietary changes, especially in vulnerable groups such as young men and pregnant women. In addition, shifting the focus from how certain foods contribute to weight loss to their effects on mental, brain and gut health may also improve eating habits and dietary choices. .

Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the federal government has a responsibility to correct misinformation about over-the-counter infant formula products marketed with misleading health claims. It is therefore vital that governments enforce these regulations to ensure that companies making these claims are held accountable.

Advancing the science of nutritional brain health

Over the past decade, researchers have made great strides in the field of nutritional psychiatry. While some of the early studies in this field have confirmed associations between diet quality and clinical psychiatric illness, more recent studies have shown that certain dietary modifications can lead to severe major depressive disorder. It has been proven that symptoms can be significantly improved.

Recent clinical trials have confirmed the therapeutic potential of certain diets, particularly the Mediterranean diet, to reduce clinical depression. Therefore, translating these findings into clinical practice and recommending other lifestyle behavioral changes may improve treatment outcomes for many patients with mood disorders.

As this research progresses, it will be important for nutritionists, psychiatrists, psychologists, environmental health and public health professionals to work together to help develop and implement effective public health policies. Ultimately, these policies will improve access to healthy foods, limit consumption of ultra-processed foods, and provide educational resources to the public on how diet affects brain health. increase.