Scientists have reported on the association of ultra-processed foods with attention loss

Eating ultra—processed foods — even against the background of a healthy diet in general - reduces the brain's ability to concentrate and increases the risk of dementia. This was reported on April 23 in the journal Medical Xpress.

Ultraprocessed products are industrial products with a long list of additives: carbonated drinks, ready meals, packaged snacks. Their association with chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders has been confirmed in earlier studies. In recent years, the scientific community has been increasingly studying their effects on the nervous system.

"To understand our results: A 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods is equivalent to adding a standard pack of chips to your daily diet. For every 10% increase, we recorded a measurable decrease in a person's ability to concentrate," said the study's lead author, Dr. Barbara Cardoso.

The study involved more than 2.1 thousand middle-aged and older Australian adults without signs of dementia. On average, participants received about 41% of their daily energy from ultraprocessed foods, a figure close to the Australian average of 42%.

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According to Cardoso, industrial processing destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances into it: artificial additives and technological chemicals. This indicates that the relationship between nutrition and cognitive functions goes beyond a simple deficiency of beneficial nutrients and is determined precisely by the degree of processing of the product.

An increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with an increase in the number of risk factors for dementia, in particular, high blood pressure and obesity. Although the study did not reveal a direct relationship between such products and memory impairment, attention underlies many key cognitive functions, including learning and problem solving.

On March 30, nutritionist, nutritionist, and author of the Slimness Code project, Yulia Kashapova, told Izvestia that ultra-processed foods such as sugary drinks, snacks, and semi-finished products can negatively affect health if consumed regularly. According to the expert, ultra-processed food is an industrial product with additives and components that are rarely used in home cooking.