decline in cognitive function
Eating too many ultra-processed foods, such as cakes, biscuits and chips, not only increases weight but also increases the risk of dementia, a new study has found.
A research team at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil conducted a study on 10,775 civil servants from 2008 to 2019. The subjects were between the ages of 35 and 74 and were tested several times over the course of the study to see how their mental functioning changed. The research team investigated how much ultra-processed food the subjects ate along with tests to evaluate memory and executive function.
The research team defined foods to eat as unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and fish, and processed foods that use ingredients to preserve natural foods, such as canned fruit and salted or smoked meats. and fish △ultra-processed foods using additives such as flavors, colors, sweeteners, and emulsifiers.
The research team divided the subjects into four groups according to the percentage of ultra-processed food intake in the total diet. The group with the lowest intake of ultraprocessed foods accounted for less than one-fifth of their total diet, with the second group at 20-27%, the third at 27-34% and the fourth at up to 73%.
As a result of the study, the fourth group showed a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline than the first group. Executive function scores also fell 25% faster over an average of eight years. The research team explained, “This means that people who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster brain decline than those who ate the least.”
“It may be due to cytokines, inflammatory proteins thought to be promoted by sugary foods,” the research team said. Previous studies have shown that cytokines are associated with cognitive decline.
Dr. Natalia Gomez Goncalves of the research team said, “The decline in executive function and overall cognitive function seen in this study may be related to systemic inflammation caused by the consumption of ultra-processed foods.” related,” he said. He added, “Therefore, in order to prevent dementia, the intake of ultra-processed foods should be limited.”
The results of this study (Association Between Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Cognitive Decline) were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Neurology).