There are studies indicating that a person can deal with some aspects of cognitive decline during the late 20s to 30s. Age remains the primary risk factor when it comes to cognitive impairment, while other risks would be a brain injury, family history, education, chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, and more, according to the CDC.
A new study that CNN writes about and that assessed over 10,000 participants might make you especially worried about cognitive decline. Research has found that consuming ultraprocessed foods every day in certain amounts could lead to cognitive decline, including in the area of the brain responsible for processing information and making decisions.
How much ultraprocessed food is bad
The new study indicates that you might be in danger of dealing with cognitive decline if the amount of ultraprocessed food you’re getting every day consists of a minimum of 20% of calorie intake.
Natalia Gonçalves, co-author of the study and who works in the pathology department at the University of São Paulo Medical School, explained regarding the terrifying findings. as CNN quotes:
People who consumed more than 20% of daily calories from processed foods had a 28% faster decline in global cognition and a 25% faster decline in executive functioning compared to people who ate less than 20%.
However, more research on the subject is needed, so there’s no use throwing away all the ultraprocessed food you have in the fridge!
Here’s what Rudy Tanzi has to say, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, as the same source mentioned above, quotes:
While in need of further study and replication, the new results are quite compelling and emphasize the critical role for proper nutrition in preserving and promoting brain health and reducing risk for brain diseases as we get older.
Tanzi believes that the problem with ultraprocessed foods is that they contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and salt. All of these can lead to systemic inflammation.
