Study finds ultra-processed foods linked to substantially increased risk of dementia

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Study finds ultra-processed foods linked to substantially increased risk of dementia

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Study finds ultra-processed foods linked to substantially increased risk of dementia.

According to a recent study published in the journal Neurology , those who consume the most ultra-processed foods, such as soft drinks, potato chips and crackers, may have a greater chance of developing dementia than those who consume the least.

The researchers also found that replacing ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or lightly processed foods in a person’s diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia.

The study does not prove that ultra-processed foods cause dementia. Only one association is shown.

Ultra-processed foods are low in protein and fiber and high in added sugar, fat, and salt. Soft drinks, savory and sweet snacks, ice cream, sausage, fried chicken, yogurt, canned tomatoes and baked beans, ketchup, mayonnaise, packaged guacamole and hummus, packaged bread and flavored cereal are some of the superfoods . Examples of processed foods.

Study author said: “Ultra-processed foods are meant for convenience and taste, but they reduce the quality of a person’s diet. These foods may also contain food additives or come from packaging or during heating The resulting molecules, all of which have been shown in other studies to negatively affect thinking and memory ability. Our study not only found that ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of dementia, but also that replacing them with healthy choices may reduce Dementia risk.”

The researchers identified 72,083 people for the study from the UK Biobank, a huge database of health information on half a million people in the UK.

Participants in the study were 55 years old or older and did not have dementia at the start. They were followed for an average of 10 years. At the end of the study, 518 people had been diagnosed with dementia.

People in the study completed at least two questionnaires about what they ate and drank the previous day.

The researchers calculated how much ultra-processed food an individual ate and compared it to the grams of other foods per day to arrive at a proportion of their daily diet.

They then divided the subjects into four equal groups, ranging from the lowest to the highest percentage of ultra-processed food intake.

In the lowest group, ultra-processed foods made up 9% of the daily diet, or 225 grams per day, while in the highest group, ultra-processed foods made up 28% of the daily diet, or 814 grams per day. 150 grams is equivalent to one serving of pizza or fish sticks.

Beverages are the main food category leading to high consumption of ultra-processed foods, followed by sugary goods and ultra-processed dairy products.

In the lowest group, 105 out of 18,021 people developed dementia, while in the highest group, 150 out of 18,021 people developed dementia.

After adjusting for age, gender, family history of dementia and heart disease, and other factors that may affect dementia risk, the researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in daily intake of ultra-processed foods, people’s risk of developing dementia will increase by 25%.

The researchers also used study data to estimate what would happen if a person replaced 10 percent of ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, milk, and meat. They found that such replacements were associated with a 19 percent lower risk of dementia.

“Our results also show that adding only 50 grams of unprocessed or minimally processed food per day, the equivalent of half an apple , a serving of corn or a bowl of cereal, while reducing ultra-processed food by 50 grams per day, the equivalent of one serving of cereal,” Li Huiping said. A chocolate bar, or a serving of fish sticks, was associated with a 3% lower risk of dementia. It is encouraging that small and manageable changes in diet may have an impact on a person’s dementia risk.”

Li Huiping pointed out that further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Dr. Maura E. Walker of the University of Massachusetts Boston, who wrote an editorial for the study, said: “While nutrition research has begun to focus on food processing, the challenge is to classify these foods into unprocessed, minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed. Processed. Foods like soup, for example, are classified differently if canned versus homemade. Also, processing levels do not always align with diet quality. Plant-based burgers that match high quality can also be ultra-processed Yes. As we aim to better understand the complexities of dietary intake, we must also consider the likely need for more high-quality dietary assessments.”

A limitation of the study is that cases of dementia were identified by looking at hospital records and death registers rather than primary care data, so milder cases may have been missed.

Study finds ultra-processed foods linked to substantially increased risk of dementia

(source:internet, reference only)

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