Super-processed foods that “lead to increased risk of dementia”

Studies have shown that carbonated drinks, chocolate, potato chips, and other super-processed foods are likely to increase the risk of dementia.

And sure enough, we found that replacing these options with raw or minimally processed foods reduced risk.

Studies show that eating half the amount of raw or minimally processed foods per day and reducing the amount of super-processed foods equivalent to chocolate bars per day is 3% of dementia and was associated with the risk.

Super-processed foods that are high in sugar, fat, salt, and low in protein and fiber include soft drinks, salty foods, ice cream, hot dogs, fried chicken, canned roasted beans, ketchup, and flavored cereals. ..

The researchers stressed that their findings do not prove that super-processed foods cause dementia, but only show relevance.

But still, it may not be a bad idea to stop eating these types of foods.

Huping Li, a research author from Tianjin Medical College in China, said:

“These foods may contain food additives and molecules produced from packaging and heating. All of these have been shown to negatively affect thinking and memory skills in other studies. I am.

“Our study found that super-processed foods are not only associated with an increased risk of dementia, but replacing them with healthier options may reduce dementia risk.”

Studies have shown that for every 10% increase in daily intake of super-processed foods, the risk of dementia increases by 25%.

The study also found that replacing just 10% of ultra-processed foods with raw or minimally processed foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk and meat, reduced the risk of dementia by 19%.

The researchers identified 72,083 people from the UK Biobank, a large database containing health information on 500,000 people.

They were over 55 years old and did not have dementia at the start of the study.

After an average of 10 years of follow-up, 518 people were diagnosed with dementia.

Researchers determine how many super-processed foods people eat in a day by calculating grams and comparing them to grams of other foods to create a percentage of their daily diet.

The participants were divided into four equal groups, from the lowest to the highest percentage of consumption of super-processed foods.

The researchers found that, on average, ultra-processed foods make up an average of 225 grams per day, compared to 9% of the daily diet for the shortest group of people, 28% for the tallest group of people, or a average of 814. I found that Gram. every day.

They said the main food groups contributing to high intake of super-processed foods are beverages, followed by foods high in sugar and super-processed dairy products.

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

Huiping Li said: “Our results also show that we increased raw or minimally processed foods by just 50 grams per day, which is half an apple, one corn or bran cereal, while reducing super-processed foods. Equivalent to a serving of 50 grams per day, equivalent to a bar of chocolate or a fish stick, is associated with a 3% risk of dementia.

“It’s encouraging to learn that small, manageable changes in diet can affect dementia risk.”

The findings are published in the journal Neurology.