Highly processed foods now account for two-thirds of the calories in the diets of children and adolescents
Everyone knows that eating highly processed foods is bad for health, but few of us combine these health problems with a decline in mental functions. But as new research reveals, the consumption of highly processed foods that exceeds 20% of the daily intake of your calories each day could lead to cognitive decline.
In particular, highly processed foods (salads, pizzas, hot dogs, ready-to-eat meals, burgers, fries, etc.) now represent two-thirds of the calories in the nutrition of children and adolescents. Studies have shown that they can increase the risk of obesity, heart and circulatory problems, diabetes and cancer, shortening our lives.
Now, the new study has revealed that eating highly processed foods can contribute to overall cognitive decline, including in areas of the brain involved in executive function – the ability to process information and make decisions.
In fact, men and women ate the most highly processed foods they had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline worldwide and a 25% faster rate of decline in executive function compared to people who ate less highly processed food, the study found.
The study, presented Monday at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego, followed more than 10,000 Brazilian citizens for up to 10 years, with an average age of 51.
For a person who consumes 2,000 calories a day, 20% of daily calories is a limit that, unfortunately, we can easily reach. as it would be equivalent with 400 or more calories. For example, a small order of fries and a cheeseburger contains a total of 530 calories.
According to neuropsych.gr mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a term used to describe the early memory and thinking problems of the elderly. While many people experience a normal decline in memory and thinking as they age, people with MCI experience problems that are greater than their age warrants. Nevertheless, these difficulties do not tend to affect the daily functionality of the person.
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