Eating more ultra-processed food may be linked to 'silent' brain damage that can go unnoticed, study finds
A study has suggested a link between eating ultra-processed foods and 'tiny areas of damage' within the brain.
It's hard to keep up with all the health trends and viral claims about how to supposedly reverse your age, future-proof your body, or what foods you should be eating more of or avoiding. And increasing warnings are emerging about the dangers of ultra-processed foods.
We may've once sat at kids birthday parties merrily munching on our packet hot dogs and crisps without a care in the world, but in recent years, health professionals and governments have been delving more deeply into the potential damages of ultra-processed foods.
For those who've luckily managed to avoid the ever-relentless news cycle, ultra-processed foods - also known as UPFs - are foods which are reinforced with chemical additives, colorings, and preservatives. Examples include hot dogs, sliced bread, and energy drinks.
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Don't punish yourself too harshly, as according to a Nature article, nearly 75 percent of the US food supply is estimated as being UPFs.
However, the growing concern is something to take note of, particularly given how a study's look into the impact UPFs may have on the brain revealing there is a link between UPF intake and 'silent strokes in healthy middle-aged adults'.
The study
Nearly 9,000 people between the ages of 35 and 69 with no history of heart disease from communities across Canada participated in the study.
Participants consumed varying levels of UPFs in their diets, from UPFS making up 45 percent of everything on their plate, to just 16 percent for the least.
They underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on their brains, the Population Health Research Institute reports.
But what did the study find?
Well, The scans are reported as having 'detected tiny areas of damage more frequently in participants who ate the most ultra-processed food compared to those who ate the least'.
High UPF diet linked to 'tiny areas of damage' in brain
And not only this, but participants with the highest intake of UPFs were '40 per cent more likely to show these changes'.
The reason these 'changes' are to be wary of? Well, while they 'produce no obvious symptoms' the changes are 'considered early warning signs that can appear years before a stroke or memory problems begins'.
"Those in the highest consumption group were nearly twice as likely to show signs of brain damage compared with those in the lowest group," the study added.
It also noted the link between higher levels of body fat - particularly 'deep belly fat' - in participants who ate more UPFs, linking this to 'inflammation and blood vessel damage that can also reach the brain'.
The study resolves: "The findings suggest a link between ultra-processed food consumption and signs of brain changes. However, because participants were only assessed once and weren’t followed over time, researchers couldn’t determine whether ultra-processed foods directly caused these changes."
And the first author of the study and an associate scientist at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, and associate professor in Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact and the Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine at McMaster University, Russell J. de Souza has since weighed in, expressing his shock at the finding.
Study authors surprise at findings
De Souza reflected: "I would not have expected this finding, frankly. We studied middle-aged Canadians who had no heart problems and reported no other health concerns.
"Usually, this kind of damage is associated with conditions we hear about and treat at a much older age."
He added longer-term studies are required, consisting of frequent MRI scans over time to figure out 'whether reducing ultra-processed food intake can slow or prevent these brain changes'.
De Souza resolved: "Such follow-up is ongoing."
Topics: Food and Drink
Poppy Bilderbeck