Ultra-processed foods may increase dementia and stroke risks by damaging brain health, according to public health researchers.
Ultra-processed foods account for more than 50 percent of daily energy intake in high-income countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, according to Suzanne Judd.
Healthy adults who eat significant amounts of these foods may show signs of brain damage that raises future risks, Judd told Healthline in an University of Cincinnati report.
“While we can't conclude from this study that limiting UPFs would improve brain health, we have decades of literature demonstrating that higher intakes of green leafy vegetables, brightly colored fruits, whole grains, and lean protein sources are good for brain health,” Suzanne Judd, director of the UC College of Medicine's Center for Public Health, told Healthline.
“Additionally, sugar or salt is often added to make the food a bit tastier so people consume it in higher quantities,” Suzanne Judd, director of the UC College of Medicine's Center for Public Health, said.
Separate research published in BMC Medicine tracked more than 6,000 British adults over up to 20 years. That research examined blood metabolites linked to diet according to the Knowridge Science Report.
Participants in the highest third for ultra-processed food intake had a 17 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those in the lowest third.
People who ate the most minimally processed food exhibited a 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. They had a 40 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those eating the least.
People consuming greater amounts of ultra-processed items presented distinct blood lipid profiles over the follow-up timeline. These specific blood patterns accounted for about 51 percent of the statistical association linking ultra-processed diets to cardiovascular disease, and about 43 percent of the connection to diabetes.
Individual evaluations of specific additives linked potassium sorbate to a general increase in cancer risk alongside elevated breast cancer rates, while sodium nitrite showed connections to prostate cancer risk.
Researchers caution that observational findings do not establish direct causation or uniform risk across every additive type. Experts said that maintaining a balanced routine with regular physical activity is a fundamental approach for supporting long-term health and avoiding chronic complications.
