MELBOURNE, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can negatively impact the brain's ability to focus and increase the risk of developing dementia, new research revealed Friday.
The study analyzed the diets and cognitive health of more than 2,100 dementia-free Australian adults aged middle and older, finding that even a slight daily increase in UPF intake was linked to a measurable drop in attention span, regardless of overall diet quality, said a statement of Australia's Monash University.
The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, reinforces a clear connection between industrial food manufacturing and cognitive decline, said lead author Barbara Cardoso from Monash University.
Cardoso said a 10-percent increase in UPF intake -- roughly equivalent to adding a packet of chips a day -- was associated with "a distinct and measurable drop in a person's ability to focus" and lower scores on cognitive tests.
Participants consumed about 41 percent of their daily energy from UPFs, such as soft drinks, packaged salty snacks and ready-made meals, close to Australia's national average of 42 percent.
"Food ultra-processing often destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances like artificial additives or processing chemicals," Cardoso said, adding that the degree of food processing itself, not just poor diet quality, may affect brain function.
While no direct link to memory loss was identified, they noted that reduced attention could impact learning and problem-solving over time. ■