Overview
- In a cross-sectional study published in an Alzheimer’s Association journal, researchers linked higher intake of ultra-processed foods to poorer attention in more than 2,100 dementia-free Australian adults.
- Each 10% rise in these foods, roughly one packet of chips a day, corresponded with lower scores on tests of visual attention and processing speed.
- The association persisted regardless of overall diet quality, including among people who followed a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.
- The study did not find a direct link to memory loss, yet higher intake aligned with more modifiable dementia risks such as high blood pressure and obesity.
- Participants derived about 41% of daily energy from items like soft drinks, salty snacks, and ready-made meals, highlighting the widespread role of these products in everyday diets.