Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Poorer Attention, Slower Mental Processing Even in Healthy Diets

A new study from Monash University found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with lower scores on tests of visual attention and mental processing speed, even among adults who otherwise follow healthy diets.

The findings, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, add to growing evidence linking industrially processed products to cognitive decline. Researchers analyzed dietary and cognitive data from more than 2,100 middle-aged and older Australian adults without dementia.

According to the study, for every 10% increase in the share of daily calories from UPFs, attention scores dropped by a small but measurable amount. Lead author Dr. Barbara Cardoso, from Monash University's Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, said the results point to a hidden cognitive cost of heavily processed foods...<<<Read More>>>....