High ultra-processed food consumption linked to increased dementia risk
Eating a diet high in ultra-processed food such as hot dogs and packaged snacks may increase the risk of dementia, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They found that those who ate the highest amount of ultra-processed food every day had a 58% increased risk of developing dementia and a 46% increased risk for cognitive impairment compared to people who ate the lowest amount of daily ultra-processed food.
“Conversely, we found lower risks of cognitive impairment and dementia for high vs low consumers of minimally processed foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” senior author Cindy Leung, associate professor of public health nutrition, said in a June 5 CNN article.
The researchers analyzed diet and health data from more than 5,300 adults over 50 who participated in the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study for an average of nine years. The study accounted for other factors besides diet that affect health, including education, income, smoking, physical activity, and alcohol use.
Leung noted in a June 3 Wall Street Journal article that even moderate consumption of ultra-processed foods appears to carry a risk for cognitive health. “[The study] really shows there may not be a safe level,” she said.
The researchers’ analysis of specific types of ultra-processed foods found that eating processed meats such as bacon carried the highest risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.
Ultra-processed foods have previously been linked to increased risk of chronic conditions including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes—all of which are associated with increased dementia risk. This association may explain the link between ultra-processed foods and increased cognitive health risk. In addition, certain additives in ultra-processed foods are associated with gut microbiome changes that may cause inflammation, ultimately leading to dementia.
Read the American Journal of Public Health study: Ultraprocessed Foods and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older US Adults: 2013–2020 Health and Retirement Study
Read the CNN article: Ultraprocessed food scientists say Americans are ‘fed up’ with industry and government inaction
Read the Wall Street Journal article: Adding to the List of Dementia Risks: a Diet High in Ultraprocessed Foods
Additional coverage: CBS News, The Independent
Learn more
The worst ultra-processed foods for metabolic health (Harvard Chan School news)
What ultra-processed foods are the least heart-healthy? (Harvard Chan School news)
