By Marc Dellière, Medical Consultant & Trainer – Specialist in Stress, Prevention & Integrative Health
We talk about ultra-processed foods. What if we applied the same reasoning... to attention?
An ultra-processed food is high reward density, low nutritional value, rapid consumption, sudden spike → crash.
Screens tick almost all the boxes.
A High cognitive glycemic index
Scroll. Notification. Short video. Micro-dopamine.
The brain loves quick loops. But like fast sugar, the effect is short-lived.
Result:
- Repeated search for stimulation
- Attention
- Fatigue
- Decreased executive control
- More impulsive food choices
Screen + sugar pairing: the double reward
Look at the contexts:
- Netflix + snacking
- Social media + sugary drinks
- Working late + snacks
Two circuits activated simultaneously:
Dopamine ↑
Discrete cortisol ↑
Glucose ↑
Repeatedly.
Ultra-processed attention also disrupts sleep
- Blue light.
- Cognitive hyper-activation.
- Difficulty disengaging.
Less deep sleep → lower insulin sensitivity the next day. It's documented.
And what about metabolism in all this?
Low grade chronic stress
→ cortisol ↑
→ hepatic glucose production ↑
Increased glycemic variability
→ repeated hyperinsulinemia
→ progressive insulin resistance
Screens don't contain calories. But they alter the physiology that manages calories.
Can we take action upstream?
In this economy of constant stimulation, slowing down becomes strategic.
Pep2Dia, developed by Ingredia Health.
Nutritional approach aimed at slowing down carbohydrate absorption (partial inhibition of alpha-glucosidase) and moderately modulating the postprandial GLP-1 response.
We are talking here about physiological modulation, not a nutraceutical equivalent of injectable agonists.
The data show attenuation of postprandial peaks, decrease in iAUC in some trials.
But, for prevention. Not treatment.
The real issue
We monitor the glycemic index of foods.
Perhaps we should also monitor the dopaminergic index of our days.
Modern obesity is not just about calories.
It is attentional, hormonal, incretin-dependent, behavioral.
Screens are not the enemy.
But as with anything ultra-processed, it’s not only how intense the spike is, it’s how often you spike.
Learn more about Pep2Dia® for glucose and weight management!
Sources:
Screen time & insulin resistance (children) — Pediatrics/Diabetes & metabolic risk markers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28288985/
Screen time & T2DM risk markers — Cross-sectional ST and sleep: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38848280/
Whey protein hydrolysate & postprandial glycemia — Randomized trial on milk hydrolysate: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31340611/