Over time, this rush starts to plateau, and this drives us even further into our cravings, Davies says. “The pleasure fades quickly,” she explains. “This makes the brain want even more, even when the body is not truly hungry; this is not about weak willpower, but how the brain responds to these foods.”

Alongside this neurochemical influence, ultra-processed foods can also take their toll on your mood, which in turn makes you crave the temporary dopamine boost from enjoying a treat. “High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with 44% higher odds of depression and 48% higher odds of anxiety,” says Dr Uma Naidoo, a psychiatrist, nutritional biologist and author of This Is Your Brain On Food.

“Brain imaging studies show that people who eat more ultra-processed foods have reduced brain volume in areas important for mood regulation and emotional processing. Artificial additives, emulsifiers and sweeteners alter the healthy bacteria in your gut, which communicate with your brain and affect mood and cognition.”

Life can feel overwhelming at times, so it’s hardly surprising that reaching for something we know will give us a little boost – and isn’t as definitively harmful as smoking, drinking or other dopamine-triggering activities like gambling – is a ‘bad habit’ that many of us struggle to resist.

But knowing how ultra-processed foods can affect our brain chemistry, is there anything we can do to make replacing these foods with whole-food options a little easier?

Sign up to our Well by Stylist newsletter: the latest relatable health and fitness content written by experts and backed up by research.

Get unlimited digital access from £3.49/month