Ultraprocessed Food Boosts Addiction and Worsens Mood

• Participants skewed young, female, single, and unemployed — Most participants were women (63%), with an average age of about 32. Among those who scored high for UPF consumption, the demographics skewed even younger and more female. Unemployed individuals and those who were single also showed significantly higher UPF intake.

This fits with broader research showing that women are more likely to use food for emotional regulation and are more sensitive to stress-induced cravings. The convenience and comfort of UPFs, combined with their low cost and heavy marketing, create the perfect storm for addiction, especially when traditional support systems are weak or absent.

• Food addiction was present in more than 85% of high UPF consumers — Among those classified as high UPF consumers, 86.7% met the threshold for food addiction. These individuals showed consistent behaviors like cravings, inability to cut back and eating despite negative consequences — hallmarks of addiction.

These patterns were measured using the Yale Food Addiction Scale, which adapts the same criteria used to diagnose substance use disorders. This suggests that UPFs are not just habit-forming; they behave more like addictive substances with real neurochemical hooks.

• Higher UPF intake was directly tied to worsened mood — The study showed a statistically significant link between UPF consumption and elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. People who ate more processed foods felt worse emotionally and mentally, with stress and depression levels climbing steadily alongside their food addiction scores.

This wasn’t just about eating more junk food — it reflected emotional patterns and biological responses that lock users into a feedback loop of addiction.

• Those with high food addiction had the highest depression scores — Depression scores were notably higher in individuals who also showed signs of food addiction, suggesting that UPFs are used as a form of self-medication. The problem is that while these foods offer a quick mood boost, they ultimately drag mental health down even further. Participants in this group showed elevated stress, sleep disturbances and low mood, all while continuing to reach for more UPFs.

• Addiction symptoms trumped pleasure-seeking behavior — The study distinguished between wanting food for pleasure and being trapped in a pattern of compulsive intake. People in the second group showed stronger associations with mood disorders and a significantly higher UPF intake.

It wasn’t just that these foods were enjoyable; it was that the body and brain had adapted to rely on them for emotional regulation, stress relief and release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to reward and motivation.

• UPFs hijack brain circuits tied to reward and impulse — Although the study didn’t use brain imaging, it cited prior work showing that UPFs activate brain areas triggered by addictive drugs. These brain regions are involved in cravings, reward and motivation. When you eat UPFs, your brain responds with heightened sensitivity and decreased control, which explains why stopping feels almost impossible once you start.

• Your brain’s natural feel-good chemicals are part of the problem — UPFs are known to increase levels of natural brain chemicals called opioids and endocannabinoids, which produce feelings of pleasure and relaxation. Over time, repeated exposure rewires these pathways, making your brain crave the stimulus just to feel normal. That’s why someone might reach for cookies, chips or fast food when they’re not even hungry — their brain is chasing a chemical hit.

• Stress hormones and gut-brain loops reinforce the habit — Chronic stress disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a hormonal feedback loop that controls how your body responds to danger and recovery.

High stress makes your brain’s reward center more sensitive and reactive, especially when comfort foods are involved. UPFs exploit this, triggering a dopamine surge followed by a crash. Your body learns that processed foods offer temporary relief from emotional discomfort, creating a powerful cycle of reinforcement.

• UPFs start rewiring your brain from day one — Animal studies reviewed in the paper showed that consuming UPFs led to an overactivation of brain pathways involved in reward, motivation, and habit formation. Rats exposed to these foods experienced increased dopamine release but also showed reduced dopamine receptor availability over time.

This pattern mirrors what happens with drug addiction: it takes more and more of the substance to achieve the same effect, driving compulsion and loss of control.

• Changes in gut microbiome set the stage for emotional eating — The paper also examined how UPFs damage gut health by reducing microbial diversity and increasing inflammation-related bacteria. These shifts were closely tied to changes in mood and eating behavior.

A disrupted microbiome influences brain chemistry through what’s known as the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication system between your digestive system and central nervous system. In other words, what’s happening in your gut directly alters how your brain handles cravings, stress and emotional responses.

• Withdrawal symptoms show UPFs are chemically addictive — The researchers highlighted that cutting out UPFs from the diet led to withdrawal-like symptoms in both humans and animals, including irritability, fatigue, headaches, and obsessive thoughts about food.

These symptoms are remarkably similar to nicotine or opioid withdrawal. Most importantly, they occurred within just five to seven days of eliminating these foods, confirming that the biological dependence is real and fast-acting.

1. Cut LA in vegetable oils first — Start by eliminating vegetable oils, which are high in LA, from your diet. These include soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and grapeseed oils. This fat builds up in your tissues and causes mitochondrial stress, which impacts your cellular energy and your brain’s ability to regulate mood.

You’ll find these vegetable oils in most UPFs, including salad dressings, sauces, frozen meals, chips, crackers, baked goods and most restaurant food. If you’re not sure where to begin, try cooking all your meals at home for two weeks using only butter, ghee, tallow or coconut oil.

2. Go cold turkey for five days — ride out the withdrawal and break the loop — Expect physical withdrawal symptoms within 24 to 72 hours of cutting out UPFs: irritability, low energy, headaches and a constant pull toward those foods. That’s not in your head — it’s your dopamine system recalibrating.

If you push through the first five to seven days without giving in, you’ll reset your reward system and drastically weaken the addictive grip. If you’re the kind of person who does better with structure, use a printed list of approved foods to stick to.

3. Rebuild your gut microbiome with fiber-rich, whole foods — Your gut bacteria play a huge role in how you feel emotionally and how strong your food cravings are. To support recovery, healthy carbohydrates are essential and play a key role in supporting your mitochondrial function. Glucose, derived from carbohydrates, serves as your cells’ preferred fuel source for energy production. Focus on eating 250 grams of the right types.

Start slowly by introducing whole fruits and white rice. If your gut health is compromised, avoid raw greens, high-fiber grains and beans until your gut is healed. In addition, start eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi or grass fed kefir.

Add in prebiotic vegetables such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and green bananas. If you’ve been eating UPFs for a long time, go slow — start with small portions to let your gut adapt. Within weeks, you’ll notice a major change in your digestion and mental clarity.

4. Interrupt emotional eating with movement, not food — Every time you want to eat out of boredom, stress or sadness, stand up. Do 10 squats, take a five-minute walk, or stretch your back and hips. This breaks the automatic link between emotion and food. Movement shifts your nervous system from the fight-or-flight state to a more relaxed one. If you’re someone who eats late at night, doing a light stretch or breathwork before bed helps reduce that urge dramatically.

5. Create friction between you and the UPFs — Make it harder to fall back into old patterns. Don’t keep trigger foods in your house. If you live with family who eats them, ask them to keep those items out of sight. Plan your meals in advance so you’re not caught hungry and desperate. If driving past your favorite fast-food place tempts you, take a new route home. Every layer of effort you add makes relapse less likely and gives your brain space to form new habits.