Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are So Addictive

Mark Hyman

Sep 30, 2024

Episode description

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to put down that bag of chips? In this episode, my guests Dr. Shebani Sethi and Calley Means and I break down how ultra-processed foods are contributing to the obesity epidemic, diabetes, heart disease, and even mental health issues. From understanding the science of addiction to decoding food labels, we’ll explore how big food companies are manipulating us—and what we can do to fight back.

View Show Notes From This Episode

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Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:

Why the Last Thing that Should Ever Eat is Ultra Processed Foods: It Kills 11 Million People a Year

How Does Ultra-Processed Food Affect Our Mental Health?

Calley Means: The Obesity Crisis, Ozempic, ADHD and Food Industry Lies

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, FOND, Ketone-IQ, and Happy Egg.

Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,500 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at RupaHealth.com.

Get 20% off one-time orders for both new and returning customers. Just visit FondBoneBroth.com and use code MARK20.

Save 30% off your first subscription order & receive a free six-pack of Ketone-IQ with ketone.com/MARKHYMAN

Shopping for better eggs shouldn’t be confusing. Look for the yellow carton at your local grocery store or visit HappyEgg.com/Farmacy to find Happy Egg near you to get 50% off.

Episode description

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to put down that bag of chips? In this episode, my guests Dr. Shebani Sethi and Calley Means and I break down how ultra-processed foods are contributing to the obesity epidemic, diabetes, heart disease, and even mental health issues. From understanding the science of addiction to decoding food labels, we’ll explore how big food companies are manipulating us—and what we can do to fight back.

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal

Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:

Why the Last Thing that Should Ever Eat is Ultra Processed Foods: It Kills 11 Million People a Year

How Does Ultra-Processed Food Affect Our Mental Health?

Calley Means: The Obesity Crisis, Ozempic, ADHD and Food Industry Lies

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, FOND, Ketone-IQ, and Happy Egg.

Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,500 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at RupaHealth.com.

Get 20% off one-time orders for both new and returning customers. Just visit FondBoneBroth.com and use code MARK20.

Save 30% off your first subscription order & receive a free six-pack of Ketone-IQ with ketone.com/MARKHYMAN

Shopping for better eggs shouldn’t be confusing. Look for the yellow carton at your local grocery store or visit HappyEgg.com/Farmacy to find Happy Egg near you to get 50% off.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Cook with regenerative beef tallow for healthier high-heat meals

Use regenerative beef tallow from brands like FOND instead of seed oils for high-heat cooking, as it has a higher smoke point and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Address pet obesity and depression to improve human health

Unlike wild animals, over 50% of domesticated dogs are obese and many suffer from depression, reflecting the same metabolic crisis affecting humans.

Treat sugar as a recreational drug to combat addiction

Sugar should be treated as a recreational drug, not an essential food, as it creates a true biological addiction similar to heroin or cocaine.

Resolve metabolic dysfunction to treat mental illness

The emerging field of 'metabolic psychiatry' aims to treat mental illness by first resolving the metabolic dysfunction caused by poor diet.

Challenge pharmaceutical ads to promote unbiased news coverage

The main purpose of pharmaceutical ads is to financially support news networks, thereby preventing them from publishing critical stories about the industry.

Choose whole foods over ultra-processed foods for weight management

In a twin study with identical calories, the twin eating ultra-processed food gained weight, while the twin eating a whole-foods diet lost weight.

Avoid ultra-processed foods to reduce daily calorie intake

An NIH study found people on an ultra-processed diet automatically ate 500 more calories per day than those on a whole-foods diet.

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