ReviewReviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders2022
Dissecting ultra-processed foods and drinks: Do they have a potential to impact the brain?
Review in Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neurobiological insights into the effects of ultra-processed food on lipid metabolism and associated mental health conditions: a scoping review.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Association between ultraprocessed foods consumption, eating disorders, food addiction and body image: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2024Pooled it
- How Does the Ultra-Processed Food Industry Drive Consumption Through Product Design and Marketing? Mapping a Complex Commercial System According to Expert Mental Models and Evidence Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Review
- Diet, lifestyle, metabolic markers, and socioeconomic status are associated with cognitive function in school-aged children from a population-based cohort.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Nutritional intervention improved dietary intake among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2026Article
- Examining the effects of two dietary intervention approaches on disordered eating-related thoughts and behaviors in adults with moderate to moderately severe depressive symptoms.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Maternal Nutrition During Pregnancy and Fetal Outcome, Short- and Long-Term Health Effects: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Premenstrual syndrome-related quality of life: associations with ultra-processed food consumption, mindful eating, well-being, and social media addiction in women.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Co-occurrence of health risk behaviors and depression in the Brazilian population: analysis of a population-based survey (Vigitel, 2023).Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Impact of a novel ultra-processed foods and drinks diet on metabolism and behaviour in adolescent female and male rats.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Appetite Self-Regulation in Childhood: A Narrative Review and Conceptual Model of Processes and Mechanisms With Implications for Research and Practice.Nutrition reviews · 2025Review
- The association between ultra-processed food consumption and adiposity indexes in adults living in Tehran: a dose-response analysis within a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Low Self-Perceived Cooking Skills Are Linked to Greater Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among Adolescents: The EHDLA Study.Nutrients · 2025Article
- The effect of garlic and stevia extract with aerobic exercise on hypothalamic leptin and ghrelin receptor mRNA expression and insulin resistance in obese rats.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Article
- How disease threat affects the purchase intention of ultra-processed foods among high-pressure workers.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Estimation of the nature and magnitude of mental distress in the population associated with ultra-processed food consumption.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- The consequences of ultra-processed foods on brain development during prenatal, adolescent and adult stages.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPF) are formulation of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, that result from a series of industrial processes. They usually have a low nutrient but high energy density, with a high content of saturated and trans fats, and added sugars. In addition, they have characteristic organoleptic properties, and usually contain sophisticated additives, including artificial sweeteners, to intensify their sensory qualities and imitate the appearance of minimally processed foods. In addition, recent research has warned about the presence of chemicals (e.g., bisphenol) and neo-formed contaminants in these products. UPF production and consumption growth have been spectacular in the last decades, being specially consumed in children and adolescents. UPF features have been associated with a range of adverse health effects such as overeating, the promotion of inflammatory and oxidative stress processes, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic dysfunction including problems in glucose regulation. The evidence that these UPF-related adverse health effects may have on the neural network implicated in eating behavior are discussed, including the potential impact on serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission, brain integrity and function. We end this review by placing UPF in the context of current food environments, by suggesting that an increased exposure to these products through different channels, such as marketing, may contribute to the automatic recruitment of the brain regions associated with food consumption and choice, with a detrimental effect on inhibitory-related prefrontal cortices. While further research is essential, preliminary evidence point to UPF consumption as a potential detrimental factor for brain health and eating behavior.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.