Association Between Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Cognitive Decline

"A higher percentage of daily energy consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with cognitive decline among adults from an ethnically diverse sample. These findings support current public health recommendations on limiting ultraprocessed food consumption because of their potential harm to cognitive function.

During a median (range) follow-up of 8 (6-10) years, individuals with ultraprocessed food consumption above the first quartile showed a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline (β = −0.004; 95% CI, −0.006 to −0.001; P = .003) and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline (β = −0.003, 95% CI, −0.005 to 0.000; P = .01) compared with those in the first quartile."

Source: JAMA Neurology