In an interview with The Guardian, Felice Jacka, a nutritional psychiatrist, said the global food system is the leading cause of death.
The researcher has been involved in exploring the deep links between food and the health of human brains.
Food Affects Everything
When asked how food affects our bodies, Jacka said the food we eat affects every aspect of our health.
She quoted research where the Western ultra-processed diet was closely linked with the shrinking of the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
She said diet directly affects our immune system and regulates our stress mechanism, two critical processes.
Leading Cause of Death
Jacka said food manufacturers are wrong about ultra-processed foods having more fibre and vitamins.
Out of $20 trillion spent on the global industrialized food system, $11 trillion is spent on human health issues like heart problems and cancer.
“The industrialized food system is the leading cause of illness and early death around the world,” she said.
