12.07.22
A diet in which 20% or more of caloric intake is made up of processed foods is linked to significant reductions in cognitive function, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology by researchers at the University of São Paulo Medical School.
Ultraprocessed foods are defined by high amounts of added sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors, and preservatives, such as hot dogs, soft drinks, frozen meals, cold cuts, fast food, packaged desserts, and more. According to research conducted the NYU School of Global Public Health, ultra-processed food grew from 53% of total calories consumed by Americans in 2001-2002 to 57% in 2017-2018.
“Higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with a higher rate of global and executive function decline after a median follow-up of 8 years,” the authors of the study wrote. “These findings suggest that limiting consumption of ultraprocessed food could be associated with reduced cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.”
The multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled a total of 10,775 participants, who were public servants between the ages of 35 and 74 (with a median age of 51.6 years) in six Brazilian cities. Just over half of the participants (54.6%) were women, 5,723 (53.1%) were white, and 6,106 (56.6%) had at least a college degree. They took food frequency questionnaires and were divided into four quartiles based on their average intake of ultraprocessed foods.
Over the various waves of the study follow-up periods, participants were assessed for changes in cognitive performance through a variety of tests including immediate and delayed recall, word recognition, phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests, and the trail-making test.
Individuals with ultraprocessed food consumption over the first quartile had, on average, a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline, and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline compared to those that are in the first quartile.
“These findings support current public health recommendations on limiting ultraprocessed food consumption because of their potential harm to cognitive function,” the authors concluded.
Ultraprocessed foods are defined by high amounts of added sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors, and preservatives, such as hot dogs, soft drinks, frozen meals, cold cuts, fast food, packaged desserts, and more. According to research conducted the NYU School of Global Public Health, ultra-processed food grew from 53% of total calories consumed by Americans in 2001-2002 to 57% in 2017-2018.
“Higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with a higher rate of global and executive function decline after a median follow-up of 8 years,” the authors of the study wrote. “These findings suggest that limiting consumption of ultraprocessed food could be associated with reduced cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.”
The multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled a total of 10,775 participants, who were public servants between the ages of 35 and 74 (with a median age of 51.6 years) in six Brazilian cities. Just over half of the participants (54.6%) were women, 5,723 (53.1%) were white, and 6,106 (56.6%) had at least a college degree. They took food frequency questionnaires and were divided into four quartiles based on their average intake of ultraprocessed foods.
Over the various waves of the study follow-up periods, participants were assessed for changes in cognitive performance through a variety of tests including immediate and delayed recall, word recognition, phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tests, and the trail-making test.
Individuals with ultraprocessed food consumption over the first quartile had, on average, a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline, and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline compared to those that are in the first quartile.
“These findings support current public health recommendations on limiting ultraprocessed food consumption because of their potential harm to cognitive function,” the authors concluded.
