Ultra-Processed Foods and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Scientometric Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the academic production of ultra-processed foods and their relationship with neuropsychiatric disorders, assessing trends, collaboration patterns, and emerging thematic areas between 2019 and 2024. Methods: The RAMIBS guidelines for scientometric studies were followed. The search was performed in Scopus using terms related to ultra-processed foods and neuropsychiatric disorders. Studies published between January 2019 and December 2024 were included, excluding letters to the editor and conference proceedings. Data were analyzed with SciVal and R Studio, using Bibliometrix to explore metrics such as Scholarly Output, SNIP 2023, CiteScore 2023, h-index, and international collaboration. Bradford’s Law was applied to identify key journals. Results: We identified 53 documents from 50 sources, with an annual growth of 24.57%. The average age of the documents was 2.98 years, with an average of 10.49 citations per publication. Brazil and the United States led in production with six articles each, while the international collaboration reached 18.87%. The most outstanding journals were “Nutrients” (SNIP 1.31, CiteScore 9.2) and “Preventive Medicine” (SNIP 1.37, CiteScore 7.7). Keyword analysis revealed a focus on the relationship between diet, obesity, and mental health. According to Bradford’s Law, “Nutrients” led as the most relevant source. Conclusions: The bibliometric data show a sustained growth in research on ultra-processed foods and neuropsychiatric disorders, with Brazil and the United States as the main contributors. The journal Nutrients played a key role as a source of dissemination. Although high thematic diversity was evident, international collaboration was limited, reflecting opportunities to strengthen global networks.