By Annette Pinder

New research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, indicates that eating a large amount of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) like potato chips, soda, or French fries, can accelerate brain decline.

UPFs are foods that undergo significant industrial processes and contain large quantities of fats, sugar, salt, artificial flavors, colors, stabilizers, and preservatives. Examples include sodas, breakfast cereals, white bread, potato chips, and frozen foods, such as lasagna, pizza, ice cream, hamburgers, and fries.

Scientists at the University of São Paulo in Brazil studied 10,775 people over an eight year follow-up, and defined high consumption of UPFs as more than 20% of daily caloric intake. Participants’ cognitive performance was evaluated using a standardized battery of tests, including immediate recall, late recall, recognition, semantic and phonemic verbal fluency. The scientists associated the participants’ consumption of UPF as a percentage of their total daily gram intake. Cognitive performance was evaluated using linear mixed effects models, adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical variables, and found that people who regularly ate UPFs had a 28% faster decline in cognitive scores, including memory, verbal fluency, and executive function, compared with those who ate fewer of these foods.

Consumption of UPFs has progressively increased worldwide in the last 30 years. High intake of UPF is also associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress.

“There is growing evidence that what we eat can impact our brains as we age, and many studies suggest it is best to eat a heart-healthy diet low in processed foods, and high in whole, nutritional foods like vegetables and fruits,” said Claire Sexton, D.Phil., Alzheimer’s Association senior director of scientific programs & outreach.

Learn more about the study at www.alz.org/aaic.