Highly Processed Food Linked to Fast Cognitive Decline

STILL SAY GRACE –

Aug. 1, 2022 – “Independent of the amount of calories, independent of the amount of healthy food that you try to eat, the ultra-processed food is not good for your cognition,” said Claudia Suemoto, an author of the study and assistant professor of geriatrics at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School.

Suemoto and her team found in particular that the adults in the study who consumed the most processed food experienced a 25% faster decline in their ability to plan and execute an action — known as “executive function.”

Similarly, a study published last week found that for every 10% increase in the daily intake of ultra-processed foods, people in the U.K. had a higher 25% risk of developing dementia.

“The data is incredibly strong that foods that are not part of the Mediterranean diet — foods high in fats and sugar, and now we can add to this list foods that are highly processed — absolutely, positively do contribute to one’s risk of cognitive decline and ultimately dementia,” said Andrew Budson, a neurology professor at Boston University who was not involved in the research.