Are Microplastics in Ultra-Processed Foods Affecting Our Mental Health?
Fast food is often ultra-processed
Shutterstock/siamionau pavel
Recent research has sparked a new hypothesis linking two major health concerns of our time – ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and microplastics – suggesting that the presence of microplastics in UPFs may have a detrimental impact on our mental health. While the exact effects of these substances on our well-being are still unknown, scientists are exploring the potential connection between microplastics in UPFs and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Dr. Smith, a leading researcher in the field, explains, “We know ultra-processed foods have microplastics. We know that ultra-processed foods are also associated with depression and anxiety. We thought that it would be helpful to put out the hypothesis that potentially microplastics could be mediating that association, with the caveat…
