Are ultra-processed foods bad for your brain health? Study raises warning

U.S.-based researchers are warning about poor brain health outcomes from consuming ultra-processed foods, like sausages, soft drinks and chocolates.

Ultra-processed foods, like pop, hot dogs and candies, have been linked to a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, a new study says, warning about poor brain health outcomes from consuming greater amounts of such items.

The U.S.-based research published Wednesday in the Neurology medical journal found that a 10 per cent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a nine per cent increased risk of incident stroke, including in people with no history of a stroke.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine and University of Alabama at Birmingham also found that a greater intake of ultra-processed foods was tied to a 12 per cent higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Meanwhile, eating foods that were unprocessed or minimally processed were associated with a lower risk of both stroke and cognitive decline.

The study included more than 30,000 adults aged 45 years and older who were tracked from 2003 to 2007.

Dr. W. Taylor Kimberly, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior study author, said that even making relatively modest changes in a person’s diet by swapping in ultra-processed food for healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes can make a big difference on their brain health.

“What you’re talking about is one or two meals a week. If you can exchange that from an ultra-processed meal to an unprocessed food or meal, that is associated with a measurable reduction in the risk of stroke or cognitive impairment,” he told Global News in an interview Wednesday.

“It’s not only what we eat that matters, but how the food is processed before we eat it,” Kimberly said.