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How Just Five Days Of Ultraprocessed Foods Can Disrupt Your Brain
We’ve all had those weeks — holidays, vacations, a stressful period filled with takeout — where we indulge in calorie-laden, ultraprocessed foods. But what if just five days of overeating could have lasting effects on your brain’s insulin response?
A recent study suggests that even short-term indulgence in high-caloric, sugary, and fatty foods can impair brain insulin function long after you stop the unhealthy eating streak.
And the kicker? These effects occur even before noticeable weight gain.
We often associate insulin with blood sugar control, but this hormone plays a crucial role in the brain as well. Normally, insulin acts on the brain to suppress appetite, regulate metabolism, and maintain cognitive function.
However, when the brain becomes resistant to insulin — something commonly seen in obesity and Type 2 diabetes — these functions are disrupted, leading to increased fat accumulation, metabolic disorders, and even cognitive impairments.
MAHA School Lunch Program Seeing ‘Impressive Results’ Tackling Ultra-Processed Foods, Says FDA Head
Lunch ladies are getting a MAHA makeover. The Food and Drug Administration’s $17 million pilot program aimed at helping schools serve MAHA-approved meals to students is up and running — and already reportedly seeing results.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told The Post that, nationwide, up to 70% of children’s diets now come from ultra-processed foods, which are often loaded with salt, refined sugars, cholesterol-spiking fats and a slew of lab-made additives you wouldn’t normally find in a home kitchen.
Over time, heavy consumption has been linked to health problems including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiometabolic disease, anxiety, depression and certain cancers.
But the new program is looking to facilitate a shift to healthier options — and at least one participating school has already reported “some impressive results” in cutting back on ultra-processed foods served to students.
“We think people should have freedom of choice and eat whatever they want,” Makary said. “But for schools who want to make a shift — [and] may not have the expertise, coaching, knowledge or direction, and are seeking it — we have this program.”
RFK Jr. Says He Would Support a Potential Ban on Junk Food TV Ads
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday said he would support a potential ban on junk food TV advertisements in the U.S. — an effort that would likely draw fierce backlash from major food manufacturers.
Speaking at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, had recently told the panel she supports banning junk food ads on TV.
When asked whether he agrees with a ban, Kennedy said, “I would support that.”
But Kennedy also appeared to imply that he would want the effort to be voluntary for food companies.
“The only hesitation I have was … we tried to do a smoking ban on TV, and the tobacco companies voluntarily came to the table, which was a good thing,” he said. “And I think the same arguments apply for junk food, [which is] probably even worse for Americans than smoking.”
Food, beverage and restaurant companies spend almost $14 billion per year on food ads in the U.S., with more than 80% promoting fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks, 2017 research from the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health shows. It is not clear how trends have changed in the years since.
Steak ‘N Shake Taps MAHA Officer as Fast-Food Chain Joins RFK Jr.’s Push to Overhaul American Diet
Steak ‘n Shake has tapped its first-ever chief MAHA officer, marking a new step in the fast-food chain’s push toward what it describes as healthier, more transparent ingredients.
Michael Boes will take on the new executive role, which is “dedicated to advancing nutritional integrity, ingredient transparency and the healthiness of our products,” the Indianapolis-based company announced Tuesday on social media.
The move aligns with the brand’s broader embrace of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Boes previously served as a senior advisor at the HHS.
He worked on health care policy and strategic initiatives, according to a post on LinkedIn. “During my time serving Sec. Kennedy, I had countless conversations with industry partners about returning to real food,” Boes said in a post on Tuesday.
Eating These Foods May Raise Your Arthritis Risk, New Study Suggests
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, with about 528 million people living with the condition worldwide and 33 million of them in the U.S. Rates of OA have been steadily increasing, reaching a 113% increase in cases since 1990, and they are projected to continue to climb. The knees are the most common joints affected by OA, followed by the hips and hands.
Risk factors for OA include a family history of it, overuse of the joint, injury of the joint, older age, sex (women get OA more often than men) and obesity, another factor that has climbed somewhat over the years. Since you can’t control your age, family history or sex, healthy weight management tends to be a major focus in improving OA. especially in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.
OA and obesity aren’t the only conditions to increase over the years, though. In the U.S., ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has also increased, with statistics estimating that almost 60% of calories and 90% of added sugar intake are coming from UPFs. And we know there’s a link between UPF intake and obesity.
