Ultra-processed foods linked to cognitive decline, dementia

Ultra-processed foods might make our lives easier and taste great, but they could have harmful effects in the end – which could lead to dementia.

A new study published in JAMA Neurology on Monday found that people may be at greater risk of cognitive decline if more than 20% of their daily calorie intake comes from ultra-processed foods.

That’s about 400 calories a day on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. An order of small fries and a regular cheeseburger from McDonald’s has 530 calories.

Other examples of ultra-processed foods include frozen pizza, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, donuts, and ice cream.

In the study, the researchers defined ultra-processed foods as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starches, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives.” “

“Fifty-eight percent of calories consumed by citizens of the United States, 56.8% of calories consumed by citizens of Britain and 48% of calories consumed by Canadians come from ultra-processed foods,” co-author Dr. Claudia Suemoto, assistant professor in the department of geriatrics at the University of São Paulo, he said.

The part of the brain involved in executive functioning — the ability to process information and make decisions — is particularly affected by the risk of cognitive decline, according to the study.

More than 10,000 Brazilians between the ages of 35 and 74 were followed for up to 10 years for a study that aimed to see how eating this type of food affects brain power.

Participants were tested at the beginning and end of the study to see if their psychological state had changed. Tests included immediate and delayed word recall, word recognition and verbal fluency. They also had to fill out food questionnaires to determine how much ultra-processed food they consumed.

Those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline compared to those who ate less than 20%.

In addition to cognitive decline, ultra-processed foods can be linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart and circulatory problems, diabetes, cancer and a shorter lifespan.

One way to prevent ultra-processed foods from damaging your cognitive health is to cook and prepare food from scratch, according to Suemoto.

“People need to know that they should cook more and prepare their own food from scratch. I know we say we don’t have time, but it really doesn’t take that much time,” she said.

“And it’s worth it, because you’ll protect your heart and protect your brain from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the take-home message: Stop buying things that are super processed.”