Ultra-Processed Food Intake Linked to Poorer Attention and Higher Dementia Risk

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with poorer attention and increased modifiable dementia risk, independent of overall diet quality. In this cross-sectional study of 2,192 dementia-free Australian adults aged 40–70 years, dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and categorized by the Nova classification system, while cognitive performance was measured with the Cogstate Brief Battery and dementia risk estimated using the CAIDE score. The results showed that every 10% increase in UPF intake was associated with a decrease in attention scores (−0.05 points) and an increase in dementia risk scores (+0.24 points), regardless of adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Notably, no significant association was observed between UPF intake and memory performance. These findings highlight that food processing itself may be an important and independent factor influencing cognitive health, reinforcing concerns about the impact of UPFs beyond their nutritional composition. Source: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/