A diet high in ultraprocessed foods may raise dementia risk
Americans Get 55% of Daily Calories From Ultraprocessed Foods
A new study from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that consuming over two pounds of ultraprocessed foods daily increases the risk of dementia by 58 percent and cognitive impairment by 46 percent.
The research, which analyzed over 5,300 older adults for nearly a decade, suggests that even moderate levels of ultraprocessed food consumption pose a risk to brain health.
Processed meats, such as bacon and sliced ham, were specifically linked to the highest risk of dementia and cognitive impairment among ultraprocessed foods.
While the observational study cannot definitively prove causation, ultraprocessed foods are associated with known dementia risk factors, including obesity, gut changes and cardiovascular disease.
Conversely, the study indicated that individuals who consumed the most minimally processed foods, like fruits and vegetables, had a 41 percent lower risk of developing dementia.
