Higher UPF intake is linked to poorer attention and increased dementia risk in adults aged 40 to 70, with each 10 per cent rise tied to cognitive effects, new research suggests.
It is well known that ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, can harm overall health, but new research suggests this type of diet could also affect the brain.
The study found that UPFs are linked to more than 30 adverse health outcomes, including several dementia risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Researchers from Monash University in Australia analysed data from more than 2,000 dementia-free adults aged between 40 and 70, comparing their diets with cognitive function.
They found that each 10 per cent increase in UPF intake was associated with lower attention scores and higher dementia risk, regardless of whether the adults generally followed a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet.
No significant link was found between UPF consumption and memory.
By identifying food processing as a contributor to poorer cognition, meaning mental processes such as attention and memory, the study “supports the need to refine dietary guidelines”, the researchers concluded.
The team noted that the dietary data was self-reported, which could limit the strength of the findings.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr Daniel Amen, a California-based psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, said diet has a “powerful impact” on the brain.
“Your brain is an energy-hungry organ,” he said.
“It uses about 20 per cent of the calories you consume, so the quality of those calories matters.”
Food is either “medicine or poison,” according to the doctor, who pointed to ultraprocessed foods such as packaged snacks, soft drinks and ready-made meals that tend to be higher in sugar, unhealthy fats, additives and low-quality ingredients.
These foods can promote inflammation, insulin resistance, poor blood flow and oxidative stress, a type of cell damage, all of which are “bad for the brain”, according to Amen.
The brain expert said the study found that even a 10 per cent increase in ultraprocessed food intake, roughly equivalent to a pack of chips a day, was linked to a “measurable drop in attention, even when people had otherwise healthy diets”.
“Attention is the gateway to learning, memory, decision-making and problem-solving,” Amen said.
“If you can’t focus, you can’t fully encode information.”
The “big takeaway”, according to the doctor, is to “love foods that love you back”.
“You may love the taste of chips, cookies and candy, but they don’t love you (or your brain) back,” he said.
“Ultraprocessed foods may claim to be sugar-free, low-carb or keto-friendly, but researchers noted that ultraprocessing can destroy the natural structure of food and can introduce additives or processing chemicals that may affect cognition.”
Amen suggested sticking to real food that grows on plants or animals, instead of food “made in plants”.
“Build meals around colourful vegetables and fruits, clean protein, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and high-fibre carbohydrates,” he recommended.
“Start by replacing one ultraprocessed food per day with a brain-healthy option.”
That might mean swapping chips for nuts, fizzy drinks for water or unsweetened green tea, and packaged sweets for berries. “Small choices done consistently can change your brain and your life,” the doctor said.
As UPFs have been shown to worsen several dementia risk factors, Amen said people at risk of cognitive decline should “get serious about prevention as early as possible”.
“If you have a family history of dementia, memory concerns, diabetes, high blood pressure or weight issues, your diet is not a side issue, it’s a primary brain-health intervention,” Amen said.
“Remember, you’re not stuck with the brain you have.
“You can make it better, and it starts with the next bite.”
