Ultra-Processed Foods May Zap Attention

Ultra-processed foods like chips and soda aren’t just bad for your waistline and heart. New research suggests that even small daily doses of UPFS may impact your attention span and raise the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Research in over 2,100 adults found that consuming more UPFs was associated with slower mental processing and less attention, even in individuals with typically nutritious eating habits.

Attention span may slowly fade away and increase the risk for dementia, even with a small daily increase in UPF intake.

Data from over 2,100 middle-aged and older Australian adults (without dementia) was analyzed by researchers from Monash University, the University of São Paulo, and Deakin University. Their study was published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, a journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

Ultra-Processed Foods and Attention

Significant decreases in attention and mental processing speed were noted in the study from even small increases in UPF intake.

According to lead author Dr. Barbara Cardoso, from Monash University's Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and the Victorian Heart Institute, the data add to growing evidence linking highly processed foods to poorer brain health.

Cardoso notes, "To put our findings in perspective, a 10 percent increase in UPFs is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to your daily diet”.

"For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person's ability to focus.

"In clinical terms, this translated to consistently lower scores on standardized cognitive tests measuring visual attention and processing speed."

Subjects in the study consumed about 41 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, close to the Australian national average of 42 percent. ‍

Why Processed Foods Hurt Your Head

Soft drinks, packaged snacks, and ready-to-eat meals undergo heavy industrial processing, whereas minimally processed foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and most fresh meat, do not.

One of the most interesting findings from the study was the negative impact on attention, despite a person’s overall diet quality. In subjects whose diets were overall healthy (i.e. Mediterranean diet). Poorer focus was nearly matched with that of those with higher UPF intake. The researchers believe this suggests the level of processing itself may make a difference.

"Food ultra-processing often destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances like artificial additives or processing chemicals," Dr. Cardoso said.

"These additives suggest the link between diet and cognitive function extends beyond just missing out on foods known as healthy, pointing to mechanisms linked to the degree of food processing itself."

Relation to Dementia Risk Factors

The study also indicated that higher intake of UPFs was linked with an increase in other known risks for dementia, including obesity and high blood pressure. These should be managed to support long-term brain health.

Although the study didn’t find a direct link between UPFs and memory loss, the researchers believe that attention is a critical cognitive function. Attention plays a fundamental role in learning, solving problems, and other mental tasks.

A decrease in focus may indicate an early warning sign of other cognitive changes. Attention is vital in many aspects of thinking.

Below are ways to reduce your intake of UPFs and protect your noggin: ‍

·         Plan meals and grocery shopping. Having a meal plan and shopping list makes it easier to avoid relying on fast food or highly processed convenience meals.

·         Choose whole foods frequently. Plan your meals with foods that are minimally processed, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, eggs, fish, yogurt, and nuts. ‍

·         Read ingredient lists. Foods with long ingredient lists, artificial flavors, colors, emulsifiers, or multiple additives are more likely to be ultra-processed.

·         Buy frozen or canned whole foods when fresh isn't practical. Frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, and canned beans (preferably low-sodium or rinsed) are nutritious and convenient without being ultra-processed.

·         Cook and eat more meals at home. Preparing food yourself gives you control over the ingredients and reduces reliance on packaged convenience foods.

·         Swap sugary breakfast cereals. Replace them with options like oatmeal, plain yogurt with fruit, or whole-grain toast with nut butter.

·         Choose healthier snacks. Keep fruit, nuts, popcorn (air-popped), cheese, or hummus with vegetables on hand instead of chips, candy, or packaged snack cakes.

·         Drink water more often. Replace soft drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages with water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea or coffee.

·         Limit processed meats. Eat fresh poultry, fish, beans, lentils, or lean cuts of meat more often than deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages.

·         Make gradual substitutions. Rather than eliminating everything at once, replace one ultra-processed item each week—switch flavored yogurt to plain yogurt with berries, or replace packaged cookies with fruit and nuts.

Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD

‍ Reference:

Barbara R. Cardoso, Euridice Martinez Steele, Barbara Brayner, Xinyi Yuan, Lisa Bransby, Hannah Cummins, Yen Ying Lim, Priscila Machado. Ultra‐processed food intake, cognitive function, and dementia risk: A cross‐sectional study of middle‐aged and older Australian adults. Alzheimer\'s, 2026; 18 (2) DOI: 10.1002/dad2.70335