A landmark Harvard study involving 150,000 participants over 12 years has found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a 30% increased risk of developing dementia.

Key Findings

Participants who consumed more than 4 servings of ultra-processed foods daily had significantly higher rates of cognitive decline. The worst offenders included packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and processed meats.

Mechanism

Researchers believe chronic inflammation caused by artificial additives, excess sugar, and industrial seed oils damages brain vasculature over time, reducing blood flow to critical regions.