HuffPost: These Beloved Snacks Are Linked to an Increased Dementia Risk. Here’s What Doctors Want You To Know
HuffPost recently interviewed Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders and director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai, about new research linking higher intake of ultra-processed foods with poorer attention and slower mental processing speed—even among people who otherwise follow a healthy diet.
Scientists found that each 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake—about the equivalent of eating a bag of chips daily—was linked to declines in brain function and higher dementia risk factors.
Tan, who was not involved in the study, told HuffPost the findings suggest that even following the MIND diet—which combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets to support brain health—may not fully offset the effects of consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods.
“Diets that are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, like olive oil, can decrease inflammation and be protective of the brain,” he said. “But even for people who have decent MIND diet scores, when they had high intakes of ultra-processed food, it still affected their attention.”
Tan noted that the study’s emphasis on attention, rather than memory, is particularly meaningful.
“Attention varies more from a day-to-day standpoint than memory does,” he told HuffPost. “It can be affected acutely by, say, a rise in blood sugar. You get that sugar rush and then crash. Memory doesn't get affected as quickly.”
Tan offered practical advice for grocery shoppers looking to cut back on ultra-processed foods, including products such as packaged cookies, soft drinks and frozen meals.
“Stay on the outer aisles where it’s refrigerated because those are perishable items,” he told HuffPost. “The ones in the center typically have very long shelf lives because they're ultra-processed, with lots of preservatives, salt and sugar added. It’s important to tip the balance toward less processed foods rather than ultra-processed ones, and we’re all going to be better off in terms of our blood pressure, our sleep, our attention and long-term health.”
Read the complete article from HuffPost.