Ultraprocessed Foods and the Brain, 23andMe’s Pivot to Diet Drugs, and More

Your monthly link roundup and analysis

Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash

Welcome back to the Rethinking Wellness monthly link roundup! Each month I’m offering a small collection of links from around the internet that are relevant to the conversations we have here, along with some quick takes and occasional deeper dives for paid subscribers.

This time, the takes/dives are about ultraprocessed foods and the brain, and 23andMe’s pivot to selling diet drugs.

Links

Here are some pieces that got me thinking this month. I generally enjoyed all of these, but links are not endorsements of every single detail in the piece or everything the writer ever wrote.

• Understanding Risk, Living With Uncertainty (

  Emily Oster
  )

• Is there food freedom with food allergies? (

  Shana Minei Spence
  )

• Supplements are a Rising Cause of Liver Failure (

  Dr. Jen Gunter
  )

• Should Schools Ban Phones? (

  Jacqueline Nesi, PhD
  )

• On Sam Altman and Arianna Huffington’s “hyper-personalized AI health coach” (The Atlantic)

• The FDA Didn’t Approve MDMA. Is the Medical System Ready for Any Psychedelic? (TIME)

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Quick Takes / Deeper Dives

Ultraprocessed Foods and the Brain, plus 23andMe’s Pivot to Diet Drugs

What’s the deal with ultraprocessed foods and dementia?

Hi Christy, I just saw a New York Times article that claims processed foods are “linked” with dementia. I would love your analysis on those claims.