The Dr. Hyman Show
Ultra-Processed People: How Big Food Is Rewiring Our Brains | Chris Van Tulleken
16 Apr 2025
Ultra-processed food is the new cigarette—and it's fueling a global health crisis hiding in plain sight. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Chris van Tulleken—infectious disease physician, BBC broadcaster, and author of Ultra-Processed People—to expose the truth behind ultra-processed foods and the industries driving their consumption. To find out what this food is really doing to us, Dr. van Tulleken became the first subject in a groundbreaking clinical trial—eating 80% of his calories from ultra-processed food for a full month. We unpack what makes ultra-processed food fundamentally different from real food—even when the ingredients look similar, and why its impact on your brain, metabolism, and long-term health is far worse than anyone thought… You’ll learn: How ultra-processed food hijacks your brain’s reward system The science behind food addiction and satiety hormones Why food labels and front-of-package claims are designed to mislead you What the latest data says about UPFs and 32 chronic diseases The global policy movements and lawsuits now underway to fight back This episode is part science, part exposé, and a wake-up call for anyone who thinks food is just about calories and willpower. If you care about your health, your kids, or the future of our food system, you need to hear this. This episode is brought to you by Seed, Fatty15, PerfectAmino, BON CHARGE, and Pique. Visit seed.com/hyman and use code 25HYMAN for 25% off your first month of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic. Head to fatty15.com/hyman and use code HYMAN for 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit. Get pure essential amino acids today. Go to bodyhealth.com and use HYMAN20 to get 20% off your first order. Go to boncharge.com and use code DRMARK to save 15% on your PEMF mat today. Head to piquelife.com/hyman to get 20% off + a free beaker and frother today. https://linktr.ee/ultraprocessedpeople View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast
Full Episode
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The ultra processing, which includes the marketing, the coloring, the texture effects, the physical processing, thermal chemical processing, that is the stuff that allows you to eat so much of the sugar, salt, and fat.
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