"I Ate It Often Because It Tasted Good"... This Eating Habit Linked to 40% Higher Odds of Asymptomatic Cerebrovascular Damage

Canadian Researchers Study Diet and Brain Health in Middle-Aged Adults
No Significant Association Found in Cognitive Function Tests
Research Team: "Long-Term Follow-Up Needed to Establish Causality"

Middle-aged adults who consume large amounts of ultra-processed foods have more body fat and visceral fat, and are more likely to show signs of asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage. However, no significant association was found between ultra-processed food consumption and cognitive function test results.

On October 17 (Korea time), the international journal JAMA Network Open reported findings from a study by a research team at the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada. The team analyzed food consumption questionnaire responses, body fat measurements, brain MRI scans, and cognitive function test data from 8,783 adults aged 35 to 69 with no history of cardiovascular disease.

A study found that middle-aged people who consume large amounts of ultra-processed foods have more body fat and visceral fat, and are more likely to show signs of asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage. Pixabay

The analysis found that the group with the highest ultra-processed food consumption had a body fat percentage 1.7 percentage points higher than the group with the lowest consumption, and an average visceral fat volume 5.7 mL greater. By contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of liver fat.

Ultra-processed foods are foods manufactured through industrial processing. Common examples include packaged snacks, sweetened cereals, soft drinks, instant noodles, and frozen ready meals. These foods may be high in sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat, while containing relatively little dietary fiber and certain nutrients.

Differences were also found in the brain MRI analysis. The group with the highest ultra-processed food consumption was 40% more likely than the group with the lowest consumption to show signs of asymptomatic vascular brain injury. The research team classified cases as vascular brain injury if they showed at least one of the following: asymptomatic cerebral infarction or an increase in white matter hyperintensities. These changes can be detected before clear symptoms appear and are used as indicators for assessing cerebrovascular health.

However, the study did not find that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with poorer cognitive function. The research team analyzed cognitive test results assessing memory, attention, and other functions, but found no significant association between consumption levels and test scores.

The research team explained that "because this was a cross-sectional study comparing dietary habits and health indicators at a specific point in time, it cannot be concluded that ultra-processed foods directly caused cerebrovascular damage." The team added that the association with cerebrovascular damage varied depending on the criteria used to calculate ultra-processed food consumption, and that long-term follow-up studies are needed to examine the relationship between dietary habits and brain health.

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