In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Eating ultra‐processed foods such as hot dogs, sausages, burgers, French fries, soda, cakes and candies can contribute to overall cognitive decline, including areas of the brain involved in executive functioning, i.e., the ability to process information and make decisions, according to a new study. Presented Aug. 1 at the 2022 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in San Diego, the study followed over 10,000 Brazilians for up to 10 years. Those in the study who ate the most ultra‐processed foods were “more likely to be younger, women, white, had higher education and income, and were more likely to have never smoked, and less likely to be current alcohol consumers,” the researchers reported. Men and women who ate the most ultra‐processed foods had a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive‐function cognitive decline compared with people who ate the least amount of overly processed food, CNN Health reported about the study. Researchers also have found that eating ultra‐processed foods can raise the risk of obesity, heart and circulation problems, diabetes and cancer.