New research reveals that so-called “healthy” ingredients aggressively marketed by Big Food are actually attacking your brain.
Story Snapshot
- Erythritol, a popular sugar substitute in “diet” products, increases brain oxidative stress and stroke risk
- Ultra-processed foods marketed as healthy alternatives trigger neuroinflammation and cognitive decline
- Food industry deceived consumers with safety claims based on inadequate short-term studies
- Vulnerable populations including children and elderly face heightened neurodevelopmental risks
Corporate Deception Exposed in Brain Health Crisis
April 2025 research presented at the American Physiology Summit demolished the carefully crafted narrative that artificial sweeteners represent safe alternatives to sugar. Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder discovered that erythritol, widely used in sugar-free products, increases oxidative stress in brain endothelial cells while impairing nitric oxide production. This cellular damage directly threatens the blood-brain barrier, potentially elevating stroke risk among Americans who trusted industry marketing claims about these supposedly beneficial ingredients.
Watch: Warning from a Brain Specialist: This “Healthy” Vitamin Could Be Hurting Your Brain
Ultra-Processed Foods Trigger Neurological Destruction
Harvard’s Frank Hu delivered a stark warning that exposes the true scope of this health crisis: “The vast majority of ultra-processed foods are unhealthy, and the more of them you eat, the higher your risk of various diseases.” These products, packed with trans fats, bisphenols, and nanoparticles, systematically disrupt neurological function through chronic inflammation pathways. The mechanisms include blood-brain barrier breakdown, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress that accelerate cognitive decline, particularly threatening children, pregnant women, and elderly Americans.
Industry Profits Over Public Safety
Federal agencies including the FDA granted widespread approvals for artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed food additives without requiring comprehensive neurological safety studies. This regulatory negligence allowed corporations to flood the market with products containing erythritol and other harmful substances while marketing them as healthy alternatives. The system prioritized industry lobbying over independent scientific research, creating a public health disaster that has compromised brain health across multiple generations of American families.
Auburn Berry from the University of Colorado Boulder emphasized the urgent need for caution, stating that “more research is needed to fully understand the impact on vascular health” of erythritol and similar compounds. However, the damage from decades of widespread consumption may already be irreversible for millions of Americans who trusted corporate marketing claims about ingredient safety.
Sources:
Ultra-processed foods and brain health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Ultra-processed foods and cognitive decline
American Physiology Summit 2025: Erythritol and brain health
American Heart Association: Mediterranean diet and brain health
