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It’s well-known thatultraprocessed foods(UPFs) are not good for overall health — but new research has uncovered further evidence that this diet could negatively impact the brain.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia by the Alzheimer’s Association, revealed that UPFs are linked to more than 30 adverse health outcomes, including several dementia risk factors, like cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetesand obesity.
Researchers from Australia’s Monash University analyzed more than 2,000 dementia-free Australian adults between the ages of 40 and 70, comparing their diets to cognitive function.
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They found that each 10% increase in UPF intake was associated with lower attention scores and higher dementia risk, regardless of whether the adults typically followed a healthy diet, likethe Mediterranean diet.
There was no significant link found between UPF consumption and memory.
Each 10% increase in ultraprocessed food intake was associated with lower attention scores and higher dementia risk, the study found.(iStock)
By identifying food processing as a contributor to poorer cognition, the study “supports the need to refinedietary guidelines,” the researchers concluded.
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As the data was self-reported, this could pose a limitation to the strength of the findings, the team noted.
Daniel Amen, a California-based psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, discussed how diet has a “powerful impact” on the brain.
“[The brain] uses about 20% of the calories you consume, so the quality of those calories matters,” Dr.(iStock)
“Your brain is an energy-hungry organ,” he said.“It uses about 20% of the calories you consume, so the quality of those calories matters.”
Food is either “medicine or poison,” according to the doctor, who called outultraprocessed foodslike packaged snacks, soft drinks and ready-made meals that tend to be higher in sugar, unhealthy fats, additives and low-quality ingredients.
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These foods can promote inflammation, insulin resistance, poor blood flow and oxidative stress, all of which are “bad for the brain,” according to Amen.
The brain expert noted that the study revealed even a 10% increase in ultraprocessed food intake – equivalent to roughly a pack of chips per day – was linked to a “measurable drop in attention, even when people had otherwisehealthy diets.”
About one package of chips per day can result in cognition changes, according to the study findings.(iStock)
“Attention is the gateway to learning, memory, decision-making and problem-solving,” Amen said.“If you can’t focus, you can’t fully encode information.”
keto-friendly, but researchers noted that ultraprocessing can destroy the natural structure of food – and can introduce additives or processing chemicals that may affect cognition.”
high blood pressureor weight issues, your diet is not a side issue – it’s a primary brain-health intervention,” Amen said.
“Remember, you’re not stuck with the brain you have.You can make it better, and it starts with the next bite.”
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