Midlife snack habits could be rotting your brain

Ultra-processed food and snacks may be trashing your brain.

Women who ate processed grub such as white bread, soda, chicken nuggets and hot dogs in midlife are more likely to have cognitive decline later in life, a new, first-of-its-kind study found.

Researchers at New York University tracked over 5,000 women for 30 years, and those who reported consuming those types of foods in their 40s and 50s were 24% more likely to report problems with memory recall and concentration as they’ve aged.

“Midlife is a particularly critical period for the onset of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease development in later years, especially in women,” reads the study, published by Preventive Medicine in next month’s edition.

The researchers collected data from 14,274 Nyc women aged 35 to 65 beginning in 1985. Between 2018 and 2020, just 5,119 responded to NYU’s follow-up questions. Approximately 1,638 women reported experiencing cognitive problems.

Consuming ultraprocessed foods has long been linked to a range of health issues that can contribute to neurological deficits later in life, the study noted.

“Midlife hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, and heavy drinking are all linked to an increased Alzheimer’s disease risk,” the authors wrote. “The biological mechanisms of the association between [ultra-processed food] consumption and cognitive decline is complicated and could be explained from several aspects.”

The findings suggest cognitive problems “could be driven by the effects of rich fat and saturated fat in ultra-processed meat, fast food, and dairy products,” the authors wrote. “Saturated fat and fatty acids in the [ultra-processed foods] could modulate gut bacterial profile.”

Increasing evidence suggests “that gut microbiome can affect cognitive function by bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract,” reads the study.

While specific to women, the hope is the research could help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases before it’s too late.

“Limiting [ultra-processed food] consumption, particularly during middle age, could be an effective strategy for preventing cognitive decline,” the study’s authors added.

Study participants who adhered to the DASH diet — which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension — in midlife had a lower risk of developing cognitive issues later down the road. The diet focuses on eating foods high in blood pressure-lowering nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber.

Additional reporting by Samantha Olander