More than 400 to 500 calories per day from ultra-processed foods, such as hamburgers, french fries and packaged cookies, is more than enough to increase the risk of cognitive decline, according to a new study. Some cognitive faculties, such as memory and thought processes, are altered.

But how much food are we talking about? About two donuts or half a frozen pizza, depending on the brand.

A study involving 10,775 men and women in Brazil found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods had a 28 percent faster rate of global cognitive decline, compared to people who ate less ultra-processed foods over 8 years. .

In countries like the US and UK, where people consume more than 50% of ultra-processed foods, studies show that this has worrying health consequences. This study was published in a medical journal JAMA Neurology.

Ultra-processed foods, such as packaged candy, have spread around the world, affecting the diets of people in high and low income countries.

Diet is only one factor in cognitive health

However, Duane Mellor, a dietitian at Aston University in England, who was not involved in the study, believes that “the study only provides a link between intake of ultra-processed foods and cognitive decline.”

“The problem is observational data, so there is only evidence of association and not causation,” he added.

Mellor said researchers already had a lot of information about the negative effects of ultra-processed foods. However, she says it’s hard to know if these foods are any worse than a diet high in fat, salt and sugar.

It could be, according to Mellor, that people whose diets are high in ultra-processed foods, said Mellor, eat less healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Cognitive health is a complex subject, and its decline can be caused by many factors besides diet: lack of physical exercise, smoking, alcohol, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This study did not include these factors in its analysis.

Unhealthy food, health problems

Despite the study results, medical and nutrition experts like Mellor agree that diet and nutrition are the two biggest risk factors for health worldwide. Obesity is now a bigger problem than world hunger.

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt, as well as processed foods, whether ultra-processed or not, are linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and increased death from all causes.

A recent report by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems Nutrition, an independent group of nutrition and health experts, shows that in developing countries, sales of processed foods are growing rapidly, as are their health risks, in the coming years.

According to this report, more than 3 billion people do not have access to a healthy diet and suffer from malnutrition.

How can you eat healthier?

It’s never too late to start eating healthy food. Studies show that healthy diets, such as those in the Mediterranean region, help reduce cognitive decline and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Mediterranean diet is committed to eating fresh foods and reducing consumption of foods rich in refined fats, sugar and salt.

“Try to enjoy (if you can with other people) a simple and varied diet based on vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and fruit and increase the amount of unprocessed dairy and meat products.” said Duane Mellor.

(rmr/cp)