Americans Are Addicted to 'Ultra-Processed' Foods, and It's Killing Your Brain. 

An interview with Health and Nutrition Educator, Udo Erasmus

Growing research is revealing that what we eat may be a significant factor in how angry we feel. In fact, a University of California study showed that a diet high in trans fatty acids was directly linked to increased aggression. It appears that trans fats interfere with the brain's ability to produce and use Omega 3 fatty acids - a nutrient shown by research to lower aggression. Along the same lines, Omega 3 deficiency has been linked to the risk of depression, which may contribute to irritability.  

“More than half of the food intake in North America is now drawn from ultra-processed ‘products’ with virtually no micronutrient content.  It consists of sugar, fats, and many debilitating chemicals -- but not minerals and vitamins -- and its steady consumption is a huge cause of concern for those working in the field of brain health,” says Udo Erasmus, a health educator and author of "Fats that Heal Fats That Kill"

"The meals we eat in restaurants and in our homes contain little or no omega-3 essential fatty acids - and this dietary deficiency has triggered a variety of unpleasant mental and emotional problems for tens of millions of children and adults," says Erasmus.

Erasmus says that omega-3 began rapidly disappearing from the dinner table about 50 years ago when ranchers stopped feeding cattle omega-3 rich grass and began feeding them grains. Adding to the problem of adequate omega-3 intake is the fact that these nutrients are destroyed by heat; so, baked, fried, or barbecued meats and vegetables provide no omega-3 benefits to those who eat them.