Research Reveals Processed Junk Food Alters Brain Regions Controlling Hunger - Video

A surprising new study reveals that ultra-processed foods (UPFs), widely known for their convenience and addictive flavors, might be reshaping your brain—potentially driving overeating habits.

The findings of the study was published in npj Metabolic Health and Disease.

Researchers analyzed dietary and brain imaging data from roughly 30,000 middle-aged adults in the UK Biobank. They assessed how UPF intake correlates with brain microstructure in regions responsible for hunger, reward, and emotional eating — notably the hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens.

The study used advanced MRI techniques to measure cellular integrity, water content, and tissue microarchitecture, adjusting for confounders like body mass index, diet composition, physical activity, and socioeconomic factors.

Findings showed that higher UPF consumption is associated with altered brain tissue properties, including increased cellularity in the hypothalamus and reduced cellularity accompanied by more water content in other feeding-related areas. These neural changes could disrupt appetite regulation, making people more prone to overeating.

Mediation analyses showed part of the effect is linked to obesity-related metabolic disturbances such as increased triglycerides, systemic inflammation, and glucose dysregulation, but direct effects independent of adiposity were also evident. The chemical additives and altered nutrient profiles of UPFs likely contribute to these brain changes.

This research offers a novel perspective on why UPFs drive overconsumption and obesity beyond just taste or calorie density. These brain alterations may create a reinforcing cycle of increased UPF intake, complicating weight management.

Although the study is observational and cannot prove causality, it underscores the urgent need to reconsider dietary guidelines and food policies addressing UPF exposure to protect brain health and curb the obesity epidemic.

With obesity and metabolic diseases rising globally, understanding how diet shapes brain circuits controlling feeding provides new targets for prevention and treatment strategies. Future research will explore mechanisms and potential reversibility of these brain impacts.

REFERENCE: Morys, F., Kanyamibwa, A., Fängström, D. et al. Ultra-processed food consumption affects structural integrity of feeding-related brain regions independent of and via adiposity. npj Metab Health Dis 3, 13 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44324-025-00056-3