admin A recent study claims that having excessive amounts of popular treats like soda, hot dogs, and candies is associated with a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, potentially leading to poor brain health outcomes.
The U.S. based study that was published on Wednesday has said in their neurology medical journal 10 per cent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 9 percent increased risk of incident stroke, counting in people with no history of a stroke.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered that consuming a higher amount of ultra-processed foods is associated with a 12% increased risk of cognitive impairment. Conversely, opting for unprocessed or minimally processed foods is linked to a reduced risk of both stroke and cognitive decline.
The study, which involved over 30,000 adults aged 45 and above tracked from 2003 to 2007, highlights the importance of dietary choices in brain health.
Dr. W. Taylor Kimberly, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author of the study, emphasizes the significant impact even small dietary changes can have on brain health, suggesting that replacing ultra-processed foods with healthier options like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes can yield substantial benefits.
“What you’re talking about is one or two meals a week. If you can exchange that from an ultra-processed meal to an unprocessed food or meal, that is associated with a measurable reduction in the risk of stroke or cognitive impairment,” he told in an interview on Wednesday.
“It’s not only what we eat that matters, but how the food is processed before we eat it,” Kimberly said.
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