A set of scientific research developed for more than a decade by the Universidad Veracruzana (UV) has revealed that the consumption of ultra-processed foods, obesity and stress act together, profoundly altering the balance of the body and increasing the risk of diseases such as cancer and dementia.
In Mexico, around 195,000 new cancer diagnoses are registered each year, while dementia affects approximately 14.2 percent of older adults.
Research findings
Researcher Deissy Herrera Covarrubias, from the UV Brain Research Institute, has led nine studies that explore the relationship between diet, stress, sexual behavior and prostate and cognitive health.
“We seek to understand what happens in the body when a person maintains a diet high in sugars and fats for years; how this type of diet modifies brain function, alters hormones, changes eating behavior, motivation and sexual behavior,” he explained.
The work began in 2015 with the research “Obesity as a risk factor in the development of cancer.” Since then, they found that body fat not only stores energy, but produces hormones and chemicals that influence the immune system and inflammation.
Eating fried foods, pastries, soft drinks, fast food, sausages and industrialized snacks not only affects weight, but also brain function. Evidence suggests that these diets increase vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“Science does not work as a single experiment. Each finding generates many more questions than answers,” said Herrera, a member of the National System of Researchers.
One of the most recent studies, “Ultra-processed diet and risk of cognitive decline” (2026), warns that the effects go beyond cardiovascular risk. Another work, “Stress, diet and sexual behavior” (2025), found that intense stress in early stages can leave lasting effects and increase vulnerability to cancer.
The specialist emphasized that basic research requires time to understand complex processes. These findings could contribute to developing preventive strategies based on nutrition and stress regulation.
“The human body is extraordinarily complex; we try to understand why something happens and what the long-term consequences are,” he concluded.
