Snacks DESTROY the brain?

I’ll never forget when that documentary came out called “Super Size Me” and the doctor didn’t think the person would have any health issues after eating fast food for 30 days in a row.

I mean, really!?

Of course, that just highlights the type of ignorance we’re up against.

That’s why I’m loving all of the new research exposing the health risks of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

And the latest findings show how some of the most commonly consumed snack foods—chips, cereal, hot dogs, and more…

DESTROY our brains.

On the fast track

The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) included more than 10,000 adults, aged 35 and older. Researchers followed their dietary habits for nearly eight years.

Ultimately, results showed an association between a higher intake of UPFs and faster rates of cognitive decline.

In fact, compared to those who consumed less, those who consumed more than 20 percent of their daily calories from UPFs had a:

• near 30 percent faster rate of global cognitive decline
• 25 percent faster rate of executive function

(Global cognition relates to attention, memory, language, verbal fluency, and more. And executive function is what enables us to plan, focus, remember, and multi-task.)

Those implications are frightening. Especially when you consider that 73 percent of our food supply here in the U.S. consists of UPFs.

THINK more clearly

I’ve reported plenty on how poor dietary choices increase risk of disease, including dementia.

But now, this research points out how these highly manipulated foods—soft drinks, chips, candy, ice cream, cereals, packaged soups, hot dogs, fries, and more—can actually interfere with the way we think.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in consuming ANYTHING that affects the functionality of my brain, or puts me on the fast track to cognitive decline.

If nothing else, I hope these findings serve as a wake-up call. At the very least, start limiting consumption of UPFs. And aim to eventually rid your diet of them completely.

Instead, choose delicious, health-boosting options like lean protein, veggies, nuts, seeds, and seasonal fruit—all part of the healthy Mediterranean-style diet. Then, enjoy plenty of water, coffee, or herbal tea to wash all of those healthy foods down.

To learn more about natural ways to protect your brain—and fight dementia—check out my online learning tool, my Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment Plan.

Source:

“Ultraprocessed Foods Tied to Faster Rate of Cognitive Decline.” Medscape, 12/6/2022. (medscape.com/viewarticle/985078)