Study finds that ultraprocessed foods are associated with decreased intelligence

Aisle of Ultraprocessed Foods at Walmart
(Photo by Thayne Tuason via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

There are more concerns about the consumption of ultraprocessed foods:

18 February 2026

Ultra‑processed foods (UPFs) now account for almost half of the daily calorie intake in many countries, and children are among the highest consumers. …

Ultra-processed foods are characterised by their long list of ingredients that are not typically found in freshly prepared homemade food. They often contain non-nutritious additives such as azo-dye colourants (the largest group of synthetic dyes that are added to foods and textiles to provide colour), non-caloric sweeteners, emulsifiers and preservatives.

Professor Warner and Alisha Khan warn that these additives disrupt the gut microbiome and the mechanisms that normally protect against chronic disease, affecting gut barrier integrity, immune pathways and metabolic signalling. Some additives, such as azo food dyes, can also be metabolised into DNA‑damaging compounds, adding to concerns about carcinogenic risk.

UPFs also trigger what the authors describe as ‘hedonistic hunger’ (eating when not physically hungry), therefore promoting overeating and contributing to obesity. Their low cost, appetising appearance and convenience make them a popular but non-nutritious food choice worldwide.

Recent studies have even compared UPFs to tobacco, claiming that they are both designed to encourage addiction and overconsumption, and are linked to similar health harms. …

Professor Warner and Alisha Khan call for … introducing bold front-of-pack warnings on products containing ingredients linked to harm. They argue for immediate bans on high-risk additives like azo dyes, tighter restrictions on UPF marketing, especially to children, and removal of UPFs from schools and public institutions. https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news-and-media/news-and-opinion/ultra-processed-and-under-regulated-why-ultra-processed-foods-lack-regulation-despite-evidence-of-harm/

A new report points to an association between ultraprocessed foods and lower intelligence:

Study Links Childhood Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods to Lower IQ

February 17, 2026

A troubling new study is raising fresh concerns about the hidden dangers of ultraprocessed foods after researchers found that toddlers who consume large amounts of these products are more likely to suffer reduced intelligence by the time they reach school age.

Researchers from universities in Brazil and the United States set out to determine whether eating habits at just two years old could predict cognitive ability later in childhood.

The results of the study, led by Dr. Glaucia Treichel Heller, were published in the British Journal of Nutrition. …

The findings revealed a direct association between early consumption of ultraprocessed foods and reduced intelligence later in childhood.

Children who ate more ultraprocessed foods at age two showed an average IQ drop of two points by age seven.

Even after accounting for other major influences, such as maternal education, family income, and mental stimulation at home, the connection remained.

Most Vulnerable Children Hit Hardest

The impact was even more severe among children already facing developmental challenges, including low weight, height, or head circumference for their age.

For these vulnerable children, diets high in ultraprocessed foods were linked to an alarming five-point reduction in IQ. …

These products often contain high levels of sugar, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives while providing very few essential vitamins or minerals.

Researchers warn that such foods may crowd out nutrient-rich alternatives during the most important stages of brain growth.

There is also growing concern that chemical additives or excessive sugar exposure could directly disrupt biological systems, compounding the developmental risk. https://slaynews.com/news/study-links-childhood-consumption-ultraprocessed-foods-lower-iq/

Here are two reports from last Fall on the risks and harms associated with ultra-processed foods:

19 November 2025

Women who eat large amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are at a greater risk of developing a precursor to bowel cancer, according to a new study.

Research found women who frequently eat UPFs are at a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with a growth in the bowel that, while non cancerous, can develop into cancer over a long period of time.

Writing in the journal Jama Oncology, experts said that the study provides insight on how diet can influence early changes in the bowel.

They monitored 29,105 women with an average age of 45, gathering food surveys from them taken every four years.

Their findings showed women who regularly ate UPFs such as processed sauces, crisps, processed meats and many ready meals had a 45 per cent higher likelihood of developing a type of polyp called an adenoma than those with the lowest consumption. Those who ate the highest proportion of UPFs ate around 9.9 portions a day. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/ultra-processed-food-bowel-cancer-adenoma-diet-b2868106.html

Ultra-processed foods threaten public health — researchers

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) pose a significant threat to public health and require urgent attention, according to global health experts.

More than 40 experts from around the world published their research in top medical journal The Lancet, blaming UPFs for poor diets globally and a rise in diseases, from obesity to cancer.

“It’s about the evidence we have today about … ultra-processed foods and human health,” Carlos Monteiro, a lead researcher from University of Sao Paulo, said at an online briefing on Tuesday.

“What we know right now justifies global public action.”

Researchers blame food industry

The researchers said that UPFs currently represent more than half of all calories eaten in the United States, Australia and the UK.

They blamed massive corporations for changing global diets in recent decades by using aggressive marketing to sell products made with inferior ingredients and artificial methods.

Eight UPF manufacturers — Nestle, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Danone, Fomento Economico Mexicano, Mondelez, and Kraft Heinz — account for 42% of the sector’s $1.5 trillion (€1.3 trillion) in assets in 2021, the paper said.

“The key driver of the global rise in UPFs is the growing economic and political power of the UPF industry, and its restructuring of food systems for profitability above all else,” the researchers wrote.

“The industry comprises UPF manufacturers at its core, but also a broader network of co-dependent actors who collectively drive the production, marketing and consumption of UPFs.” 11/19/25  https://www.dw.com/en/ultra-processed-foods-threaten-public-health-researchers/a-74798960

Notice also:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said between August 2021 and August 2023, American youth “consumed 61.9% of their daily calories, on average, from ultra-processed foods, while adults consumed 53.0% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.”

“Ultra-processed foods tend to be hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats,” according to the CDC. “Ultra-processed food consumption has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News earlier this year, “We are poisoning ourselves and it’s coming principally from these ultra-processed foods.” 08/07/25 https://www.foxnews.com/health/majority-americans-get-more-than-half-calories-from-ultra-processed-foods-cdc-finds

Ultra-processed foods are highly consumed and are dangerous.

Yet, in the USA, various dietitians are pretending that obesity and processed foods are good and healthy (see General Mills funded dieticians who try to claim being obese is healthy and that ultra-processed foods are good).

But they are not healthy.

The good news is that consumption of them appears to be dropping:

February 18, 2026

Tuesday at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference, where top U.S. packaged food executives struck a sour tone about persistent consumer softening and unease over elevated food prices.

General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening told the audience at CAGNY that cereal, snacks, and pet food are among the categories taking the biggest hit as consumers struggle with affordability woes. He said the pressure is being fueled by inflation, reductions in government food benefits, geopolitical uncertainty, and a fragile consumer environment. …

Also on Tuesday, General Mills plunged 7% (its biggest drop since May 2022) after cutting its full-year sales outlook. It now expects organic net sales to decline 1.5% to 2%, compared with its prior forecast of down 1% to up 1%.

BNP Paribas analyst Max Gumport told clients CAGNY was “one of the most downbeat in recent memory for the packaged food group.” …

Beyond a cash-strapped consumer, Gumport also cited the surging use of GLP-1 drugs, intensifying competition from “disruptor” brands, and ongoing financial stress as some of the top pressures across the packaged food industry. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/package-food-stocks-sink-after-most-downbeat-consumer-conference-general-mills-guidance

So, partially because of weight loss and partially because various states are no longer willing to subsidize the consumption of certain ultraprocessed foods, sales for the “packaged food group” are down.

Well, the consumption of less packaged foods is healthier for most people.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)

Greed for money, not health, drives much of the food processing industry. Notice the following from last Fall:

Scientists criticize food manufacturers for massive profits from sales of unhealthy ultraprocessed food

November 18, 2025

Certain ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, are contributing to worldwide obesity, chronic health conditions and premature death, yet the food industry continues to aggressively market new and existing products in this category for massive profits, according to an unprecedented three-part series authored by 43 global experts in nutrition and supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, and the World Health Organization.

More than 50% of the $2.9 trillion paid to shareholders by food corporations between 1962 and 2021 “was distributed by UPF manufacturers alone,” according to research published Tuesday in the leading medical journal The Lancet.

“We found evidence that UPF consumption is increasing everywhere around the world, fueled by powerful global corporations,” said coauthor Carlos Augusto Monteiro, professor emeritus of nutrition and public health in the School of Public Health at Brazil’s University of São Paulo.

“To keep this business model, which is highly profitable, the industry cannot afford to make minimally processed foods as they did in the past, so they use extensive political lobbying to stop effective public health policies that support healthy eating,” said Monteiro, who coined the term “ultraprocessed food” in 2009 when he developed the NOVA classification system, which categorizes foods into four groups by their level of industrial processing.

Companies can “double or triple their profits” by turning corn, wheat, beans and other whole foods “into a colorless and flavorless sawdust which is then reconstructed with artificial flavorings and additives,” said Barry Popkin, the W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/health/ultraprocessed-industry-profits-wellness

Yes, greed is a factor. And yes, the food industry advertises and promotes processed foods.

That said, remember Eve in the Garden:

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Eve reasoned around God’s restriction. The fruit looked like good and desirable food to her. Ultra-processed foods and many unclean meats that God’s word prohibits look like good and desirable foods to many–so this is not entirely the fault of the food processing industry.

Self-control is something Christians should have (e.g. 2 Peter 1:6).

Highly-processed junk foods may look good, taste good, and seem convenient, but if consumed at all, should be a very small part of anyone’s diet.

Yet most in the West deceive themselves that they are not eating too much of them or that they are fine. Plus there is a lot of advertising that promotes them. That brings to mind another warning from the Apostle Paul:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, … 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-2,13)

Because the negative effects take time, many are wrongly persuaded by advertisements and availability to eat too much highly processed foods. Many also deceive themselves into falsely believing that they cannot cause serious problems–yet they can.

The following scripture came to mind:

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

As far as food processing goes, it really started to become a problem in the 19th century. This is when refined flour came out. Then we saw degerminated corn meal and white rice. Grits, which once were made of ground, whole organic corn, are now made with degerminated GMO corn, ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins. After corn was ‘degerminated’ many people in the Southern USA died from a disease called pellagra. Instead of going back to whole corn, chemically-derived synthetic vitamins were added, which I consider to be dangerous.

In the 19^th century, after natural brown rice became refined on a large scale, white rice became popular. Many preferred white rice because it could be stored longer than natural brown rice, plus it cooked faster.

In the 19^th century, a disease called beriberi began to cause many deaths in parts of Asia. Symptoms of beriberi include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heart rate.

At first no one connected the consumption of white rice in with beriberi. Leading ‘infectious disease’ experts attempted to figure out what caused this beriberi outbreak, without success. The real cause was the greatly reduced consumption of B-vitamins that was in the portion of the rice that was refined away—but no one realized this at first.

Now, we have even more highly processed items in the food supply–and also genetically-modified substances that there is limited data on the possible long-term health consequences of their consumption.

What should you eat? You should eat real food and for most people, at least two or more servings of fruit and three of more servings of vegetables daily, relatively small amounts of meats, whole grains, and olive oil come to mind. Refined grains, sugars (whether natural or artificial), sodas, and GMOs should be highly limited or not consumed at all

The Bible teaches:

3 You shall not eat any detestable thing. (Deuteronomy 14:3)

Many ultraprocessed foods contain GMOs and potentially toxic chemicals–hence many truly are detestable.

God’s word also says:

2 … Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. And if you take vitamins and minerals, take the type whose nutrients are 100% food (which is what I personally do).

In 2022, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

It is nice that some are warning about some of the evils affecting the food supply.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
American foods that gross out foreigners A study done in the Fall of 2014 found out which foods that non-USA Americans considered weird or gross that Americans eat. This video discusses those foods, ingredients in some of those foods, and warns against consuming ‘that which is not bread’ (Isaiah 55:2). Dr. Thiel also warns about synthetic vitamins and some of the issues associated with them. He also discusses something promoted by the late Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; two short videos are also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food? and COVID, Pandemics, and Unclean Meat.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods?
Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy Are there disadvantages to being overweight? Is junk food really bad for you? Does the Bible discuss overeating and/or obesity? Is overeating having an effect on the US military? What are the ramifications of personal and national health for overeating? What should you eat? This is a sermonette-length YouTubevideo.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?  and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.