A review published in the British Medical Journal in 2024 found that UPF consumption is linked to a 22% increased risk of depression, a 48% higher risk of anxiety, and a 41% higher risk of poor sleep.

The SMILES trial demonstrated that dietary interventions replacing UPFs with nutrient-rich foods led to significant improvements in depression, with a remission rate of 32% among participants.

Research suggests that UPFs are more likely to contain microplastics due to their packaging, additives, and processing methods, further complicating the health risks associated with these foods.

Consumers are urged to reconsider their food choices, particularly regarding ultra-processed items, in light of the emerging risks linked to microplastic contamination.

Recent research has uncovered alarming levels of microplastics in human brains, raising significant concerns about their potential impact on mental health, particularly in relation to ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa noted that UPFs account for over 50% of energy intake in the U.S. and contain considerably more microplastics than whole foods.

Dr. Ma-Li Wong emphasized the urgent need to rethink our understanding of environmental contaminants and their effects on brain health, highlighting that microplastics have breached the blood-brain barrier.

Studies indicate that microplastics can traverse the gut, enter the bloodstream, and even cross the blood-brain barrier, raising serious health implications.

These microplastics are believed to disrupt neurotransmitter systems associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, paralleling the adverse effects of UPF consumption.

Dr. Stefan Bornstein proposed therapeutic apheresis as a potential method for removing microplastics from the human body, although he acknowledged that further research is necessary.

A complementary study in Brain Medicine reported promising results for extracorporeal apheresis, a blood filtration technique that may effectively eliminate microplastics.

Researchers stress the importance of reducing microplastic exposure through better food choices and packaging, while also exploring methods for removal from the human body.