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Cognitive Decline Linked to Ultra-Processed Foods

For many Americans, improving what they eat is often at the top of their New Year’s resolutions list – and for good reason. Ultra-processed foods make up more than half of Americans’ diets, and research presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference suggests that eating such foods for more than 20% of caloric intake every day could set people on the road to cognitive decline.

“Research continues to show that what we eat can impact our brain health as we age,” said Kate Kahles, program manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. “At the same time, there has been an increase in the availability and consumption of fast, processed and ultra-processed foods. There are steps we can take to take good care of our brain health, including a heart-healthy, balanced diet.”

Ultra-processed foods are ones that undergo significant industrial processes and contain large quantities of fats, sugar, salt, artificial flavors, colors, stabilizers and/or preservatives. Examples include sodas, sugary breakfast cereals, white bread, potato chips, frozen pizza, ice cream, hamburgers and fries.

Research has found that people who consume more than 20% of their daily caloric intake in ultra-processed foods have a 28% faster decline in global cognitive scores, including memory, verbal fluency and executive function.