Neurobiological insights into the effects of ultra-processed food on lipid metabolism and associated mental health conditions: a scoping review
Poon E, Li C, Schweitzer D, Akefe I
Frontiers in nutrition · 6 citas
Cómo se estudió
- Diseño
- Revisión sistemática (indexado por PubMed)
- Estudiado en
- Personas
- Resultado principal
- Marcadores de salud y funcionamiento
- Consumo medido con
- No se indica
Quién lo pagó
- Financiación
- Financiación independiente
Según la declaración de financiación del texto completo.
Publicación
- Publicado
- 2026-01-21 · Front Nutr · vol. 12 · pág. 1754492
- Editorial
- Frontiers Media
- Citado
- 9 citas · más que el 100% de estudios similares · 55.9× el promedio de su campo
- Impacto
- Entre el 10 % más citado de su campo
- Referencias
- 182 trabajos
- Acceso
- Acceso abierto (revista) · CC-BY
- Áreas de investigación
- Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Palabras clave
- ultra-processed foods, lipid metabolism, mental health, depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, eating disorders, food addiction, low-grade inflammation, dopamine signaling, serotonin signaling, food additives, minimally processed foods
4 autores
- Emily Poon🇦🇺The University of Queensland
- Christine Li🇦🇺The University of Queensland
- Daniel R. Schweitzer🇬🇧 · autor de correspondenciaMater Hospital
- Isaac Oluwatobi Akefe🇦🇺 · autor de correspondenciaCharles Darwin University
Resumen
El texto original del estudio, en el idioma en que se publicó.
Background
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for approximately 38% of the adult diet, corresponding with a global increase in the prevalence of mental illnesses. Understanding the relationship between UPF consumption and mental health is crucial for public health and clinical practice.
Objectives
To uncover the association between consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF), dysregulated lipid metabolism, and increased risk of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), eating disorders (ED), and food addiction (FA). In addition, this review explores the potential biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie these associations for each disorder.
Methods
Following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews guideline, a comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases. The retrieved records, screened using Covidence, included English-language studies published between 2020 and 2025 that involved participants without significant comorbidities. Relevant data on associations and proposed mechanisms were extracted and synthesized using a narrative approach.
Results
UPF consumption was associated with dysregulated lipid metabolism and increased risk of Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Autism, ED, and FA. Dose-dependent increases in risk were identified in all mental illnesses except for autism. Proposed mechanisms for all these increased risks included systemic low-grade inflammation, alterations in neuronal signaling, particularly dopamine and serotonin signaling pathways, and the influence of UPF additives on neurochemical regulation.
Conclusion
There is a strong association between UPF consumption, disrupted lipid metabolism and increased risk of mental disorder in populations without significant comorbidities. Diets rich in minimally processed foods appear protective. The findings support the potential of public health initiatives aimed at reducing UPF consumption to mitigate the mental health burden. Future studies should focus on mechanistic pathways, UPF and minimally processed food consumption patterns to provide evidence for targeted dietary and policy interventions that improve health outcomes.
Resumen vía Europe PMC. Los derechos de autor siguen siendo de los autores o la editorial (CC BY).
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