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Associations between ultra-processed food consumption and adverse brain health outcomes
The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is increasingly associated with negative health outcomes, including cognitive decline and stroke, but the independent risks posed by food processing require further investigation. This research specifically evaluated these associations in the context of the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study, which tracked Black and White participants in the U.S. from 2003 to 2007.
Classification of food items was conducted using the NOVA system, assessing the extent of processing via a baseline food frequency questionnaire. Incomplete or implausible dietary reports were excluded, and individual intake was normalized by total grams consumed. Participants were evaluated for adherence to the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets. Cognitive impairment was defined through assessments comparing participants to a normative sample, while stroke incidences were verified against medical records.
The cognitive impairment cohort comprised 14,175 individuals, all free from cognitive issues at baseline, while 20,243 participants without prior strokes formed the stroke cohort. Results from multivariable Cox proportional hazards models revealed that a 10% relative increase in UPF consumption correlated with an elevated risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.09-1.24, p = 1.01 × 10−5). Conversely, greater consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods was linked to a reduced risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.83-0.94, p = 1.83 × 10−4).
Similar patterns emerged concerning stroke risk, with an increased intake of UPFs showing a hazard ratio of 1.08 (95% CI 1.02-1.14, p = 1.12 × 10−2) and reduced risk associated with unprocessed foods (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.95, p = 2.13 × 10−4). Notably, the UPF effect on stroke risk was pronounced among Black participants (UPF-by-race interaction HR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.29, p = 1.50 × 10−2). These relationships persisted irrespective of participants’ adherence to Mediterranean, DASH, or MIND diets, indicating that processing levels alone may significantly influence brain health in older adults. [NPID: UPF, cognition, stroke]
Year: 2026
