The Trigger Behind America's Brain Health Crisis

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted August 3, 2025

I’ve been warning about ultra-processed foods for years. But I’ll admit—even I was surprised by this latest research.

A new study found that your favorite packaged snacks and sweetened beverages might be doing much more than just expanding your waistline.

These ultra-processed foods could be setting the stage for serious brain problems down the road.

We’re talking about a clear link between junk food and the early signs of a devastating neurological disease…

The study, published in the journal Neurology, followed volunteers who regularly eat packaged snacks and sweetened beverages, and found they were significantly more likely to show early signs of Parkinson’s.

Now, before you think this is just another case of researchers bashing our favorite comfort foods, consider this sobering fact… Parkinson’s rates have been rapidly increasing—faster than what can be explained by an aging population alone.

Estimates suggest cases will rise 112 percent worldwide by 2050. That’s more than double the current numbers.

Something is clearly driving the increase, and this study points to our modern, ultra-processed food diet as a major culprit.

The researchers tracked the number of packaged sweets, snacks, sauces, spreads, artificially-sweetened beverages, and ultra-processed animal products (like hot dogs) the study participants ate.

Those who ate 11 or more daily servings of ultra-processed foods faced a 2.5-fold higher risk of having three or more signs of early Parkinson’s, compared to those who ate just three a day.

I’ll admit, 11 servings may sound like a lot, until you really think about it. Here’s how quickly it adds up…

You grab a doughnut and a sweetened coffee drink for breakfast, and follow that up with a mid-morning snack of a granola bar and a few pretzels. Then it’s a sandwich with processed lunch meat, a bag of chips, and a soda for lunch, followed by some crackers and cheese spread for your afternoon snack. For dinner, you heat up a frozen meal and finish it off with a few cookies for dessert.

As you can see, 11 servings can add up pretty fast in our convenience-driven world.

Most disturbing of all? These were early Parkinson’s signs—subtle changes such as loss of smell, constipation, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, and autonomic dysfunction—that appear before obvious symptoms like tremors and movement problems.

By the time you notice the classic Parkinson’s symptoms, significant brain damage has already occurred.

But this study suggests that the damage from ultra-processed food starts much earlier than we thought.

Now, I’m not trying to cause panic, but this is precisely the kind of research that should make us take a hard look at our diets and make some changes.

But you don’t have to go cold turkey today—instead, begin with a few small changes to get things rolling—then keep up that momentum by making more.

Need some inspiration? Following are some s

imple changes you can make to start purging the ultra-processed junk from your diet:

• Start Your Day Clean: Skip the sugary cereals and breakfast bars. Try steel-cut oats with fresh berries, or eggs with vegetables instead.
• Pack Real Snacks: Instead of reaching for chips or crackers, keep nuts, fresh fruit, or cut vegetables handy for a healthier snack.
• Cook More at Home: Finding the time to make fresh meals at home can be challenging. But simple options like oven-baked chicken and vegetables or an omelet with peppers and onions are easy, fast, and far better tasting than any frozen meal you toss in the microwave.
• Read Labels Religiously: If you can’t pronounce half the ingredients in a product, or if the label reads like a chemistry experiment, it’s a safe bet you’re looking at an ultra-processed food, and you’re better off putting it back on the shelf.
• Drink Water: Swap out sodas and sweetened drinks for water with lemon, herbal tea, or sparkling water with a splash of real fruit juice.
• Choose Whole Foods: Remember, the less processed a food is, the healthier it will be. For example, an apple beats apple juice every time, and a piece of grilled chicken is always a better choice than chicken nuggets.

Ultra-processed foods are convenient, easy to eat, and tasty. After all, food manufacturers have spent billions making sure they hit all the right buttons in our brains.

But convenience comes at a cost—and the price might include your brain health years from now.

P.S. Study reveals ANOTHER new health risk linked to ultra-processed food.

Source:

Peilu Wang, et al., Long-Term Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Prodromal Features of Parkinson Disease, Neurology, 6.10.25, issue 104 (11), doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000213562

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND