Chemical exposure from everyday foods may be fueling youth mental health crisis, scientists warn

09/07/2025 / By Laura Harris

A major scientific review suggests that daily exposure to neurotoxic chemicals in food and drinks, including pesticides, heavy metals, microplastics and additives, may be significantly contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression and emotional instability among young people.
Children, teens and even unborn babies are more susceptible to harm due to their developing nervous systems, lower body weight and immature metabolism, making early chemical exposure especially dangerous for long-term brain health.
Harmful substances enter the body through common means like pesticide-treated produce, contaminated water, plastic food packaging and ultraprocessed foods, many of which contain thousands of unregulated additives labeled under vague terms like “natural flavors.”
Despite increasing evidence, most mental health research focuses on social factors (e.g., screen time, stress), with little attention paid to the biochemical impact of environmental toxins – a gap scientists say needs urgent correction.
The authors urge the neuroscience and psychiatry communities to integrate research on food-related neurotoxins into mainstream mental health discourse, warning that ignoring this “chemical foundation” may be undermining efforts to address the youth mental health crisis.

A sweeping new scientific review suggests that the daily consumption of foods and drinks containing neurotoxic chemicals may be contributing significantly to the global mental health crisis in young people.

The report, published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, links the presence of harmful substances to disruptions in brain development and rising levels of anxiety, depression and hopelessness among children.

The researchers, who conducted a narrative review synthesizing findings from more than 400 studies, concluded that neurotoxic and neurodisruptive chemicals found in everyday food and water sources are harming mental well-being, particularly among young people whose brains are still developing.

These chemicals come from a variety of sources, including pesticides sprayed on fruits, vegetables and grains; heavy metals like lead and mercury found in water and food; microplastics and endocrine disruptors leaching from plastic packaging; and ultraprocessed foods, which can contain thousands of unregulated additives under vague terms like “natural flavors.”

The review also highlights that even though older adults are also exposed to these toxins, children and teens and even fetuses in utero are far more vulnerable due to their still-developing nervous systems, lower body weight and immature metabolic systems. (Related: FOOD QUIZ: How many of these 9 surprisingly common FOOD TOXINS do you consume regularly?)

In line with this, the researchers argue that this vulnerability may help explain why mental health indicators have declined so dramatically over just a few generations. They also added that early exposure can lead to long-term deficits in emotional resilience and cognitive functioning.

“Children are fundamentally more vulnerable to toxic and disruptive chemicals due to their immature metabolic pathways, the rapid maturation and plasticity of their developing brain, and their lower body weight,” the researchers wrote.

Scientists warn neurotoxic chemicals in food are overlooked drivers of youth mental health crisis

According to Brighteon.AI’s Enoch, neurotoxic chemicals in food are substances that can damage or destroy nerve tissue and brain cells, potentially leading to a range of neurological issues. These chemicals can impair cognitive function, alter behavior and contribute to mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Despite this, the authors argued that most scientific and public health discussions about youth mental health continue to focus on social factors such as smartphone use, academic pressure and trauma. While these are valid concerns, Tara Thiagarajan, Ph.D., founder and chief scientist of the nonprofit Sapien Labs and one of the study’s co-authors, warned that they do not tell the full story.

“Much of the mental health discourse has been about stress, adversity and smartphones, with therapy as the primary solution,” Thiagarajan said.

She then added that scientists are missing the chemical foundation of mental resilience, criticizing the lack of coverage in elite neuroscience journals, despite a growing number of studies on these chemicals appearing in other disciplines over the past decade.

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Watch this report by KSAT 12 about common spices testing positive for arsenic and other heavy metals.

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