Longevity & AgingEating Ultra-Processed Foods Raises Dementia Risk by Up to 58% in Large Study
A large longitudinal study following over 5,000 older U.S. adults found that those eating the most ultraprocessed foods — including sugary drinks, packaged snacks, and processed meats — were 58% more likely to develop dementia and 46% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment over nearly nine years. Published in the American Journal of Public Health and led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers, the study also found a protective effect: people eating the most minimally processed whole foods had a 41% lower dementia risk. While the study is observational and diet was self-reported, findings align with a growing body of evidence linking ultraprocessed food to chronic disease and now brain health.
