Crave, Eat, Repeat: How Processed Foods Rewire Your Brain - AI Podcast
May 14, 2025•7 min
Episode description
Story at-a-glance
- Just five days of ultraprocessed food consumption disrupts brain insulin function and appetite regulation, even without weight gain or blood sugar changes
- Brain scans revealed damage persisted after returning to a normal diet and affected memory, decision-making and reward centers similarly to patterns seen in obesity
- Environmental cues like food marketing, smells and packaging train your brain to eat regardless of actual hunger, overriding natural satiety signals
- Ultraprocessed foods trigger dopamine pathways similar to addictive drugs, creating cravings even when you no longer enjoy the food
- Reclaiming healthy eating patterns requires removing ultraprocessed foods, eating whole foods mindfully and incorporating daily movement to regulate appetite
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